Uploaded June 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago

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Juneteenth became a federal holiday in 2021, but celebrations have been going on across the country for generations.

Horace Peterson III started the Juneteenth celebrations in Kansas City, Missouri, back in the 1980s. He also founded the Black Archives of Mid-America.

When he died tragically in 1992, not only did he leave behind his life’s work, but he also had young children, including a daughter, age 6, named Makeda.

As Makeda Peterson now marks her 15th year running Juneteenth celebrations in his honor, she recorded a Brightness in Black conversation with her father’s best friend, Tillman Stewart.

Learn more: storycorps.org/stories/father-daughter-juneteenth-mission