Jefferson County’s 2025 Emancipation Celebration

Hailey Heseltine ECB Publishing, Inc.  Eighty years ago, the lawn of Old Howard Academy, one of Monticello's only schools for Black children, was alive with activity and laughter. It went silent after the 1960s, when the school was moved to another building then shuttered with segregation's end. Then, on the afternoon of May 20, 2025, Old Howard Academy came back to life.  The old school, located at 385 Mamie Scott Rd., was the site of this year's annual Florida Emancipation Day celebration hosted by Community Friends of Jefferson County, Inc., a local nonprofit organization. Present at the celebration were vendors offering community resources and free goods, a food truck, local b