LEXINGTON, Ky. (ABC36 NEWS NOW) — Juneteenth celebrations are underway across the country Thursday, marking the anniversary of June 19, 1865 — the day enslaved people in Texas learned they were free after the Civil War.
In Kentucky, slavery officially ended six months later with the ratification of the 13th Amendment.
To honor the day, Lexington is unveiling a new public monument titled Towards Freedom at 11 a.m. at Lexington Traditional Magnet School on North Limestone Street. The sculpture pays tribute to Lewis and Harriet Hayden, two formerly enslaved Lexington residents who escaped with their son in the 1840s and became national leaders in the abolitionist movement…