DETROIT – Friday is Juneteenth, a day dedicated to freedom, and many cities across the country are stopping to celebrate -- including Detroit.
Juneteenth is a 155-year-old holiday celebrating the emancipation of slaves in Galveston, Texas. The city of Detroit’s week-long celebration included a massive street mural downtown and is culminating with a large rally in Hart Plaza.
Many large companies -- like Nike, Target and Quicken -- have made Juneteenth a paid company holiday.
In Detroit, some local businesses are marking the day by trying to help the community.
Nailah Ellis-Brown shut down the Ellis Island Tea facility on Juneteenth to give her Detroit staff the day off to spend with their families.
Ellis Island Tea is a family affair that began with Ellis-Brown’s great grandfather’s tea recipe. She said she wants to give her staff Juneteenth off every year.
Good Cakes and Bakes on the Avenue of Fashion was open Friday. April Anderson said she wanted to use her platform to raise awareness about Juneteenth and help local nonprofits.
READ: Understanding the history behind Juneteenth -- what you should know