Black Memphis Historian Anthony “Amp” Elmore announces first U.S. Juneteenth celebration recognizing Mexico 150‑year Mascogo tradition, inviting Mexican and Hispanic communities to join Orange Mound in a historic Black–Mexican cultural reunion
MEMPHIS, TN, May 20, 2026 /24-7PressRelease/ — Click here to see the less than 6 minute You Tube Video Titled: “Orange Mound Juneteenth”
Experience the story that is reshaping the meaning of Juneteenth in America. In this less‑than‑six‑minute film, “Orange Mound Juneteenth,” historian and filmmaker Anthony “Amp” Elmore reveals the groundbreaking connection between African‑American freedom in Texas and the long‑hidden Afro‑Mexican freedom tradition born in Nacimiento de los Negros, Coahuila, Mexico.
This powerful video shows how Orange Mound—America’s first neighborhood built by and for freed African Americans—now becomes the cultural bridge uniting Black and Hispanic communities through education, diversity, and shared history. The film exposes the erased legacy of the indigenous Blacks mislabel as “Black Seminoles.” This story highlights Mexico’s early abolition of slavery, and demonstrates how cultural unity becomes a modern pushback against White supremacy and political erasure
The African Cultural Embassy in Orange Mound, Memphis is working on the historic restoration of a forgotten chapter of American and Mexican history: the recognition of Juneteenth as a shared African American and Black Mexican tradition that has been practiced in Mexico for more than 150 years. This historical document, authored by historian and cultural diplomat Anthony “Amp” Elmore, serves not only as a press release but as a manifesto, a cultural declaration, and a scholarly contribution to America’s 250th anniversary. It is written to educate, to correct the historical record, and to invite the Mexican Consulate and Hispanic communities across the United States to join in a binational celebration of freedom that transcends borders, time, and erasure.**
What makes the June 20th Orange Mound Juneteenth celebration revolutionary is that it restores the truth America has spent generations suppressing: Black people did not wait for a White general to ride into Texas to be free. Fifteen years before the Civil War, thousands of enslaved Africans liberated themselves by escaping into Mexico, a nation that abolished slavery in 1829 and welcomed them as citizens.
Their descendants — the Mascogos of Nacimiento de los Negros — have celebrated Juneteenth for more than 150 years, making Juneteenth not only an African American holiday but also an Afro‑Mexican freedom tradition. By honoring this erased history and inviting Mexican and Hispanic communities to learn about the Black Mexicans who preserved Juneteenth long before America recognized it, Orange Mound becomes the first African American community in U.S. history to publicly reclaim Juneteenth as a binational Black holiday.
This Orange Mound celebration belongs at the center of America’s 250th anniversary: it corrects the national narrative, exposes the myth that freedom was granted rather than seized, and elevates a story of Black self‑determination that crosses borders. The African Cultural Embassy in Orange Mound is not simply hosting a holiday — it is restoring a legacy, challenging historical erasure, and leading the nation in telling the full truth of Juneteenth as a shared African American and Afro‑Mexican celebration of liberation.
For generations, Americans have been taught that Juneteenth is exclusively an African American holiday rooted in the events of June 19, 1865, when Union General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas, to announce the end of slavery. While this moment remains central to the African American freedom story, it is only half of the truth. The other half — the half erased from textbooks, museums, and public memory — lives across the southern border in Mexico, where the descendants of Black Seminoles have celebrated Juneteenth continuously since 1865.
Their community, **Nacimiento de los Negros**, located in Coahuila, Mexico, has preserved Juneteenth for more than a century and a half, making it one of the oldest uninterrupted Juneteenth traditions in the world. This fact alone transforms the meaning of Juneteenth from a regional African American holiday into a **binational freedom tradition** shared by African Americans and Black Mexicans.
To understand this connection, one must revisit the lesser‑known history of the **Southern Underground Railroad**, a southbound path to freedom that led enslaved Africans not to Canada, but to Mexico. Unknow and untold is that Mexico had two Black Presidents. In 1829 Black Mexican President Vicente Guerrero abolished slavery in Mexico.
Unknown and untold for decades Blacks fled the United States to Mexico whereas Mexico became a sanctuary for freedom‑seekers fleeing the brutality of American slavery. Thousands of enslaved Africans escaped into Mexico.
As America celebrates Juneteenth the “African Cultural Embassy in in Orange Mound confront a deeper truth long buried beneath the label “Black Seminoles.” Contrary to the common narrative that Blacks “joined the Seminole Nation,” emerging historical research shows that many of these freedom‑seekers were members of their own sovereign Afro‑Indigenous Black nations, possessing distinct leadership, culture, and identity. One such nation, historically known as the Estelusti.
The “Estelusti” was systematically renamed and reclassified by U.S. authorities as “Black Seminole. America refused to acknowledge the existence of independent Black nations within the borders of the United States. The term “Black Seminole” was not a cultural identity — it was a political tool used to erase Black sovereignty and fold these communities into a narrative controlled by colonial power.
It was only through their migration into Mexico, under the leadership of figures like John Horse, that the continuity of this sovereign Black nation becomes visible again. In Mexico, their autonomy was recognized, their freedom protected, and their identity preserved. Juneteenth, therefore, becomes the perfect moment to restore this truth and honor the sovereign Black nation that carried its legacy of liberation across borders.
Between 1850 and 1852, these freedom‑seekers crossed into Mexico and established the settlement known as “Nacimiento de los Negros.” Mexico granted them land, citizenship, and protection in exchange for their service defending the northern frontier. Their descendants — the **Mascogos** — continue to live in Coahuila today, preserving a unique blend of African American, Seminole, and Mexican cultural traditions.
Every June 19, the Mascogos gather to celebrate **El Día de los Negros**, their version of Juneteenth. Their celebration includes **Capeyuye**, African‑rooted spirituals passed down through generations, as well as horseback processions, traditional foods, and community gatherings. This celebration is not a modern invention; it is a living tradition that has survived for more than 150 years.
It is an Afro-Mexican Juneteenth — a Black Mexican cultural legacy born from African American freedom‑seekers who found liberation on Mexican soil. This means that Juneteenth is not solely an African American holiday. It is also a **Black Mexican tradition**, an Afro-Mexican cultural practice, and a shared freedom story that binds two nations together.
In 2026, during America’s 250th anniversary, **Orange Mound**, the first African American community in United States history, will become the first to publicly restore this forgotten truth. Founded in 1879, Orange Mound stands as a symbol of Black self‑determination, resilience, and cultural identity.
Through the leadership of Anthony “Amp” Elmore and the African Cultural Embassy, Orange Mound will become the first African American community to recognize Juneteenth as a shared African American–Black Mexican holiday and to honor the Mascogo tradition as part of America’s national story. This is not merely a celebration; it is a historical correction, a cultural reunion, and a diplomatic bridge between African Americans and Mexicans.
There also exist an untold story of an African/American whose history is perhaps the 1st African/American “Spanish Cultural Diplomat.” The Spanish Cultural Diplomat’s name is Garland Reed whose Spanish association spans 57 years whose life story could be a “made for television movie.”
Garland Reed’s history dates back to 1969 when the FBI Killed Black Panther leaders Fred Hampton and Mark Clark. This murder of the young Black Panther leader Fred Hampton who was only 21years old noted by Jay Edgar Hoover as “the most dangerous man in America” was a “wakeup call for Garland Reed to leave America.”
Garland Reed did what many young Whites did to escape the draft. Many Whites traveled to Canada whereas Garland Reed traveled to Columbia whereas he learned skills unprecedented whereas a Black American had to survive in a Hispanic speaking country.
Garland Reed had to learn Spanish and functional Portuguese. Among his major accomplishments he was the 1st to open as store for the Hispanic Community.
For decades Garland Reed has worked on behalf of the Hispanic Community in Memphis whereas Garland Reed was able to get Black Legislators to champion causes of Hispanics in Tennessee. Currently Garland is advocating for a young Hispanic man who is legally in America whereas he saved the life of an African/American woman who was attacked by a group of pit bull dogs. Garland is working to insure that this young man is honored for his bravery.
Anthony “Amp” Elmore and Garland Reed have been knowing each other for decades in regards to social advocacy. Elmore troubled by the current treatment of Hispanics in America was seeking to open a space at his home that is also the “African Cultural Embassy.” Elmore had arranged to celebrate Juneteenth at the “African Cultural Embassy” June 20, 2026.
Garland Reed encouraged Elmore to review the story of the Mascogos. Anthony “Amp” Elmore a historian had written about the Black Seminole Indians and the trail of tears and Blacks living in Mexico. What the story revealed is the tradition of “Afro-Mexicans” who have been practicing Juneteenth for over 150 years.
What has been erased out of American history is the story of the “Afro-Mexicans” and their association with “Juneteenth.” whereas Juneteenth is not only an African/American celebration Juneteenth is also an “Afro-Mexican Celebration.” Because Juneteenth is an “Afro-Mexican Celebration is offers the opportunity for African/Americans and Hispanics in America to celebrate Juneteenth.
Garland Reed has a 57 year history with the Hispanic community whereas he can communicate to Hispanic people to share history of African/Americans and Afro-Mexicans whereas both groups can celebrate Juneteenth via the African Cultural Embassy in Orange Mound leading the way.
**The African Cultural Embassy**, founded by Elmore, is not defined by funding or physical infrastructure. It is defined by mission, purpose, and cultural diplomacy. Embassies throughout history have begun in homes, churches, and community spaces. What makes an embassy legitimate is not its building, but its leadership and its international mission. From his home in Orange Mound, Elmore has created a cultural institution dedicated to restoring African and African diaspora history, building bridges between communities, and elevating erased narratives. The Embassy serves as a diplomatic home for African American cultural identity and a platform for international cultural exchange.
Elmore is seeking to get Mexico to honor “Afro‑Mexican history” a history Mexico is increasingly recognizing and celebrating. The Mascogos are a recognized Afro‑Mexican community, and their Juneteenth tradition is a point of cultural pride. Mexico abolished slavery in 1829, long before the United States, and the story of the Blacks in Mexico is a shared U.S.–Mexico narrative that deserves recognition.
Anthony “Amp” Elmore is encouraging Mexico’s Ministry of Culture and its consulates across the United States actively support Afro‑Mexican visibility and cultural diplomacy. The African Cultural Embassy’s recognition of the Mascogo Juneteenth tradition aligns perfectly with Mexico’s cultural and diplomatic goals.
Elmore’s personal story also resonates deeply with Mexican communities. As a **five‑time world kickboxing champion**, Elmore carries a legacy of discipline, courage, and international respect — qualities that hold cultural significance in Mexico, where fighters are revered as symbols of honor and resilience. His 1988 film, available on YouTube, provides Mexican audiences with direct access to his work, bypassing local gatekeepers who have historically overlooked his contributions. Mexicans will honor Elmore not only because he honors their history, but because he embodies the spirit of struggle and triumph that resonates across cultures.
The African Cultural Embassy is formally requesting the support of Memphis Congressman Steve Cohen to elevate this historic moment to the national and international stage. We are asking Congressman Cohen’s office to communicate directly with not only the Mexican Consulate but to communicate to Hispanic Consulates and Governments to invite an official representative to Orange Mound for the June 20, 2026 ceremony. Anthony “Amp” Elmore encourage Hispanic media outlets to cover this unprecedented reunion of African American and Afro‑Mexican history whereas Juneteenth will be known as a shared celebration of Hispanics and Americans.
Because Juneteenth has been celebrated in Mexico for more than 150 years by the Mascogo community, the event represents the first time in American history that African Americans and Mexicans will jointly honor this shared Afro‑Mexican tradition on U.S. soil. We are also requesting that Congressman Cohen make the Orange Mound Juneteenth celebration an official part of America’s 250th anniversary and enter this event into the Congressional Record as a historic contribution from Memphis.
We further ask that the Congressional Black Caucus support this moment, recognizing Orange Mound as the first African American community to restore the full truth of Juneteenth and to honor the Afro‑Mexican people who preserved it. This congressional recognition will ensure that our story becomes part of the national narrative and that the legacy of the Mascogos and Orange Mound is permanently recorded in American history.
The African Cultural Embassy has created a groundbreaking diplomatic instrument called the “Charter of Kinship,” a cultural treaty designed to unite African Americans with the Afro‑Mexican Mascogo community of Nacimiento de los Negros. This Charter establishes a formal bond of shared heritage, mutual respect, and historical recognition between two branches of the same African diaspora family separated by slavery, borders, and time.
The Charter of Kinship will be formally signed between the African Cultural Embassy of Orange Mound and representatives of the Mascogo community, marking the first time in American history that an African American community enters into a cultural‑diplomatic agreement with an Afro‑Mexican people whose ancestors preserved Juneteenth for more than 150 years. By signing this Charter, both communities affirm that Juneteenth is not only an African American holiday but also an Afro‑Mexican tradition, and they commit to cultural exchange, education, unity, and the restoration of a shared freedom story erased from American memory.
The 2026 Orange Mound Juneteenth celebration will be a **binational ceremony**, combining African American, Mexican, and Black Mexican cultural elements. The event will feature African American music, Mexican folklórico dancers, Mascogo Capeyuye songs (via video or audio), a message from Nacimiento, and remarks from the Mexican Consulate. The ceremony will include a unity moment in which both communities stand together on stage, symbolizing the reunion of a family separated by slavery and borders. This event will be the first of its kind in American history — the first Black–Mexican Juneteenth celebration, the first to honor the Mascogo tradition publicly, and the first to tie this history to America’s 250th anniversary.
This press release serves as a **call to Hispanic Consulate** to participate in this historic event. The African Cultural Embassy invites Hispanic Consulates to deliver remarks, recognize the Mascogo tradition, and join Orange Mound in restoring a shared freedom story. This is not an invitation to a Black holiday. It is an invitation to honor a **Mexican Black tradition** that has existed for more than 150 years. It is an invitation to participate in a moment of cultural diplomacy that strengthens the relationship between the United States and Mexico.
This document also serves as a message to historians, scholars, and the America250 Commission. The 2026 Orange Mound Juneteenth celebration is not entertainment. It is not a festival. It is not a neighborhood gathering. It is a historical correction, a restoration of erased memory, a diplomatic bridge, and a cultural reunion. It is a contribution to America’s 250th anniversary that expands the national narrative to include the transnational journey of African American freedom‑seekers and the Black Mexican community that preserved their legacy.
In conclusion, Juneteenth is not just African American. Juneteenth is not just Mexican. Juneteenth is not just American. Juneteenth is **Black**, **Mexican**, **Afro‑Mexican**, **African American**, **transnational**, **shared**, and **united**. And in 2026, Orange Mound becomes the first community in the United States to tell the full truth. This is not just history. This is healing. This is unity. This is legacy.
About Us
“If Lions were historians, hunters would no longer be heroes.” This powerful African proverb encapsulates the mission of the Orange Mound News Network (OMNN). Founded by Anthony Amp Elmore, OMNN aims to reclaim and reshape the narrative of Orange Mound through the power of filmmaking, education, and content creation. Our goal is to challenge the negative stereotypes and biased portrayals that have long plagued our community, creating a positive space for family, Black culture, history, and education.
Our Journey and Mission
Orange Mound, established as the first community in America built for Blacks by Blacks, has a rich history often overshadowed by negative stereotypes. Mainstream media and societal biases have painted Orange Mound as a “ghetto,” contributing to a 30% decline in property values while surrounding communities have prospered. The Orange Mound News Network was created to counter this narrative and highlight the true spirit and resilience of our community. Anthony Amp Elmore, a five-time world karate kickboxing champion, filmmaker, and community activist, has been a beacon of change in Orange Mound.
With over five decades of community service, Elmore has dedicated his life to uplifting Orange Mound. From becoming a homeowner at 19, establishing businesses, to founding the Proud Black Buddhist World Association, Elmore’s contributions have been immense.
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