PHOTO GALLERY: Welsh celebrates Juneteenth

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Eddie "Bruiser" Achan cheers participants on Friday before the start of the 17th annual Juneteenth Parade in Welsh. While the celebration marks the day when the last enslaved people in the U.S. were freed on June 19, 1865, it also highlights African American culture and resilience. (Doris Maricle / American Press)

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Parade participants make their way along the parade route Friday during the 17th annual Juneteenth Parade in Welsh. The celebration brought people together to honor the historic day in 1865 when the last enslaved African Americans were emancipated in the U.S. (Doris Maricle / American Press)

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Angel Simon and Briielle Boxie wave as they make their way along the parade route Friday during the 17th annual Juneteenth celebration in Welsh. This year's theme, "Forever Free," honored the 60th anniversary of the "Bloody Sunday" civil rights march in Selma, Ala. (Doris Maricle / American Press)

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Carol Antoine and Drusilla Fontenot wave Friday as they participate in the 17th annual Juneteenth Parade in Welsh. The celebration was a chance to honor freedom, heritage and the ongoing fight for equity among African Americans. (Doris Maricle / American Press)

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Jeff Davis Parish Sheriff Kyle Miers was among those participating in the 17th annual Juneteenth celebration in Welsh on Friday. This year's celebration focused on youth activities including a cookoff and t-ball tournament. (Doris Maricle / American Press)

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Jerome Jackson decorates his golf cart with flags Friday before the start of the 17th annual Juneteenth Parade in Welsh. The event commemorates the emancipation of enslaved people in the U.S. while honoring the past and looking toward the future. (Doris Maricle / American Press)