MACON, Ga. — The Macon community gathered in Tattnall Square Park Saturday for the 27th annual Juneteenth Freedom Festival.
"Juneteenth celebrates when the so-called slaves were actually physically freed from the plantation," said Vinson Muhammad, one of the festival's organizers.
RELATED: What is Juneteenth?
Central Georgia and others across the country kicked things off over the weekend for Juneteenth, but the holiday is officially observed on the 19th.
"This us a opportunity to embrace our culture and get back to the roots of where things started, so that we'll understand who we are and which way that we should go," said assistant coordinator LJ Malone.
Blacc Mel performed at the festival.
"Well to come out here and perform man, it's a miracle man, because for us to even have a voice and to even have a platform to speak to our people and let them know what's going on in our community, it's through our music, you know that's powerful to me," said Blacc Mel.
Malone says it's all about coming together.
"But we free, and we need to act like it, and now is the time for us to come together with a spirit of unity and love and peace," said Malone.
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