MOLINE, Ill. — On Thursday, June 18, 2020, Tracy White joined News 8's Elizabeth Wadas for a live conversation on the significance of June 19th, also known as Juneteenth. 155 years ago back in 1865, enslaved African Americans were notified of their freedom by Union troops in Galveston, Bay Texas. This happened two years after President Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation. The day is now celebrated as the official end of slavery.
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Tracy White is an activist for the Quad Cities African American community. She's the founder of an event called "Well Suited", an event to give African American boys the opportunity to dress up and be celebrated.
"The phrase is dress their lives up before they mess their lives up. For a lot of boys who don't have fathers in the home this will be their first opportunity to dress up. And be celebrated", said Tracy White.
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She also is a champion for black owned businesses, holding a business expo with more than 100 locally black owned shops coming up on June 28, 2020 at the Freighthouse Farmers Market.
Tracy is the organizer of this year's Juneteenth event. This year it's virtual because of the coronavirus pandemic. White says going virtual on facebook live will hopefully extend their audience, get people of all races involved in the celebration. You can tune in on June 19, 2020 from 5pm to 7pm by clicking here.