A couple of months ago, we told you about Juneteenth, a holiday that commemorates the emancipation of enslaved African-Americans throughout the former Confederate States of America. But did you know that Aug. 8 is also a day on which freedom is celebrated by some Tennessee black communities?
On August 8, 1863, Tennessee Military Governor Andrew Johnson freed his personal slaves. And it was his former slave Sam Johnson who went on to become a key organizer in the first recorded Aug. 8 celebration, which occurred in 1871.
Read more about it here.
In other news:
Speaking of legacies, Neighboroots, a new initiative aimed at funding public art installations, historical markers and performances within Chattanooga to preserve and honor individual neighborhoods, was announced this week.