Brooklyn residents flocked to the Festival of Juneteenth, which honors the end of slavery in the United States.

The event, which has been celebrated in East New York for the past nine years, featured singing, dancing and a marching band. All of the ambience was to celebrate what is known as Freedom Day; the day that slaves were freed in June 1865.

Athenia Rodney has organized the event for the past nine years and says this is the biggest turnout the event has ever had. The event was inspired by her grandmother who say says grew up in the south working low-wage jobs like cotton-picking.

Rodney says the festival shows how far the African-American community has come and also serves as an education for newer generations.

The theme for this year's festival was unity.