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 SARASOTA – Nearly 155 years ago Mayor General Gordon Granger of the Union Army arrived in Galveston, Texas, and informed slaves they were free.

The day would go down in history as “Juneteenth”.

The Suncoast will commemorate the holiday with an event beginning at 1 PM at 1919 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Way in Sarasota.

Families are invited to come out and enjoy a day of empowerment, encouragement, enlightenment, and fun.