In honor of Juneteenth, the Burke County branch of the NAACP hosted a Freedom Walk in downtown Morganton, beginning at Gaston Chapel A.M.E. Church and concluding at Slades Chapel A.M.E. Church. The walk commemorated the 159th anniversary of more than 250,000 enslaved people in Galveston, Texas, learning of their freedom. Juneteenth, now a federal holiday, serves as the official independence day for African Americans, uniting individuals of all backgrounds in solidarity, peace, and unity.