CLEVELAND — Juneteenth, a combination of the words, June and 19, became a federal holiday in 2021.

The holiday celebrates and remembers the day that enslaved people in Galveston, Texas received the news that not only was the civil war over but that they have been freed by president Abraham Lincoln’s emancipation proclamation two years earlier.  

The holiday is commonly referred to by many as freedom day or the second independence day in America.

It’s a holiday that Cleveland Chef Eric Wells, the owner of Skye La Rae’s Culinary Services, holds near and dear to his heart.

“The food is very important. It’s an integral part of the way African Americans celebrate Juneteenth,” Wells explained. “Everything from ribs, to this salad here, the watermelon, to things like red velvet cake. As I mentioned, you know, the color red is very important. Food is very important for celebrating Juneteenth.”

Wells created a menu of Juneteenth inspired dishes, including a watermelon feta salad that he taught to a cooking class to celebrate the holiday.

Wells said he chose to make a watermelon salad for the holiday as he feels it represents some of the colors of the Pan-African flag, which are red, black and green.

“I feel all people, regardless of your race or ethnicity, should be celebrating Juneteenth,” he said. “We are celebrating the freedom of African Americans. African Americans have done so much to build this country, so it's freedom for this entire country.”

Wells believes that one of the best ways to share culture and being people together is through food and that exactly what he says happens during his cooking classes.

“I think food brings communities together, I think it enhances relationships,” He said. “I think it just builds — it builds together.”