The warm June air had become cloudy with smoke from more than a dozen barbecue grills. The song “We Are Family’’ blasted through Dorchester’s Franklin Park out of a massive speaker. Nearby, the brothers of the black fraternity Omega Psi Phi performed a synchronized line dance.

This was Juneteenth, the annual event and holiday that celebrates freedom and unity in the black community.

“I was raised here, and this to me is a family reunion because everybody’s here,’’ said Rena Ellis, a Roxbury native who now lives in North Augusta, S.C. “Every year I come back because it’s family.’’

Juneteenth marks the anniversary of June 19, 1865, when Union soldiers arrived in Galveston, Texas, and announced that the Civil War was over and slaves had been declared free. While the Emancipation Proclamation had occurred two years earlier, slavery remained in some pockets of the Confederacy. Juneteenth celebrates the effective ending of slavery and is now marked by an official day of observance in many states, including Massachusetts.

Black Bostonians who attended Saturday’s celebration said Juneteenth signifies a time for the community to come together, celebrate their independence and identity, and escape the challenges and stresses of day-to-day life.

“July 4 is not our independence day. Juneteenth is our independence day,’’ said Leslie Marshall, 54, of Dorchester.

The nostalgic, smoky smell of the barbecue was unavoidable, emanating almost as far as the music.

Families, friends, and black Greek organizations gathered under tent canopies and served extensive barbecue spreads: ribs, steak tips, chicken, fish, potatoes, corn on the cob, and more. And all served with drinks and sides of chips.

“It’s a big feast, it’s a celebration,’’ 26-year-old Dorchester resident Dana Menyweathers said, as he pulled steak off the grill with his uncle.

While past Juneteenth celebrations in Boston have been marked by antipolice brutality protests, this year at Franklin Park was a lighthearted party. Old friends embraced in handshakes and hugs.

Families laughed and lounged in the warm 80-degree day from the comfort of folding chairs in the shade, as classic R&B and hip hop songs played in the background.

Police officers monitoring the event mingled with attendees and indulged in some of the barbecue.

“It’s the greatest feeling in the world,’’ said Percy Drayton, 55, of Dorchester about the day, looking out over the crowd as barbecue chicken smoked on the grill next to him. “We let the younger generation know what Juneteenth means, let them know what it’s all about.’’

Menyweathers, who has been coming to Juneteenth for the past five or six years with his family, said it is an important time to celebrate and remember the past.

It also “empowers the people of the communities that are underdeveloped,’’ he said.

Gigi McNair, 65, of Mattapan, said it was a reminder of the importance of the black community staying strong in the face of injustice and racism in the world.

“It’s absolutely terrible, so this is a celebration for families,’’ said McNair, who came to Juneteenth with her husband. “It’s one of the few times in this area that black people really come together.’’

Juneteenth was also a hotspot for politicians to interact with voters.

Senator Elizabeth Warren, and candidates for Suffolk County district attorney Rachel Rollins and Shannon McAuliffe circulated around the park.

“This is about people who love each other, who strengthen each other, and who feed each other,’’ Warren said in an interview. “Juneteenth is important right now because we have a president who’s all about division. We win by coming together. . . People here are treated with respect, each to the other.’’

Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh said it was important for him to come to Juneteenth and listen to constituents in support of the neighborhood.

“It’s another way to remember the past, and also it’s a celebration of today,’’ Walsh said. He added that “it’s important for us to keep our spirit moving and not forget where we came from; not forget the challenges people had to give us the freedoms that we have today.’’

J.D. Capelouto can be reached at jd.capelouto@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @jdcapelouto.