![Lonnie Sands The Associated Press religion reporter Darren Sands poses by the gravestone of his great-great-great-great-grandfather and Civil War soldier Hewlett Sands in Westbury, N.Y., Monday, June 17, 2024. Hewlett Sands, born into slavery, served in the 26th United States Colored Infantry. He will be honored in a Juneteenth ceremony in Washington, D.C., along with about 200,000 other Black soldiers who fought to preserve the Union. (AP Photo/Lonnie Sands)](https://mapi.associatedpress.com/v2/items/d9b5eda4b3104f7d88d775bc9afa4b03/preview/preview.jpg?s=680x)
The Associated Press religion reporter Darren Sands poses by the gravestone of his great-great-great-great-grandfather and Civil War soldier Hewlett Sands in Westbury, N.Y., Monday, June 17, 2024. Hewlett Sands, born into slavery, served in the 26th United States Colored Infantry. He will be honored in a Juneteenth ceremony in Washington, D.C., along with about 200,000 other Black soldiers who fought to preserve the Union. (AP Photo/Lonnie Sands)
![Darren Sands The Associated Press religion reporter Darren Sands and his father, Lonnie Sands, pose by the gravestone of his great-great-great-great-grandfather and Civil War soldier Hewlett Sands in Westbury, N.Y., Monday, June 17, 2024. Hewlett Sands, born into slavery, served in the 26th United States Colored Infantry. He will be honored in a Juneteenth ceremony in Washington, D.C., along with about 200,000 other Black soldiers who fought to preserve the Union. (AP Photo/Darren Sands)](https://mapi.associatedpress.com/v2/items/eb0dc15b462c49128c29bfd980fd5b12/preview/preview.jpg?s=680x)
The Associated Press religion reporter Darren Sands and his father, Lonnie Sands, pose by the gravestone of his great-great-great-great-grandfather and Civil War soldier Hewlett Sands in Westbury, N.Y., Monday, June 17, 2024. Hewlett Sands, born into slavery, served in the 26th United States Colored Infantry. He will be honored in a Juneteenth ceremony in Washington, D.C., along with about 200,000 other Black soldiers who fought to preserve the Union. (AP Photo/Darren Sands)
![Mark Schiefelbein Associated Press reporter Darren Sands, second from right, reads the names of United States Colored Troops regimental soldiers, including his great-great-great-great grandfather Hewlett Sands, at the African American Civil War Memorial as part of Juneteenth commemorations on Wednesday, June 19, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)](https://mapi.associatedpress.com/v2/items/11d3789e31254cd8b180e35e3e97e307/preview/preview.jpg?s=680x)
Associated Press reporter Darren Sands, second from right, reads the names of United States Colored Troops regimental soldiers, including his great-great-great-great grandfather Hewlett Sands, at the African American Civil War Memorial as part of Juneteenth commemorations on Wednesday, June 19, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
![Mark Schiefelbein Associated Press reporter Darren Sands points to the name of his great-great-great-great grandfather Hewlett Sands listed with the names of other United States Colored Troops soldiers on the African American Civil War Memorial during Juneteenth commemorations on Wednesday, June 19, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)](https://mapi.associatedpress.com/v2/items/a98f8d1557a1426ca83821b65c18fb3d/preview/preview.jpg?s=680x)
Associated Press reporter Darren Sands points to the name of his great-great-great-great grandfather Hewlett Sands listed with the names of other United States Colored Troops soldiers on the African American Civil War Memorial during Juneteenth commemorations on Wednesday, June 19, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
![Mark Schiefelbein Associated Press reporter Darren Sands, right, reads the names of United States Colored Troops regimental soldiers, including his great-great-great-great grandfather Hewlett Sands, at the African American Civil War Memorial as part of Juneteenth commemorations on Wednesday, June 19, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)](https://mapi.associatedpress.com/v2/items/0cefe903dcf64780906c7e81e930d26d/preview/preview.jpg?s=680x)
Associated Press reporter Darren Sands, right, reads the names of United States Colored Troops regimental soldiers, including his great-great-great-great grandfather Hewlett Sands, at the African American Civil War Memorial as part of Juneteenth commemorations on Wednesday, June 19, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
![Mark Schiefelbein Associated Press reporter Darren Sands, right, reads the names of United States Colored Troops regimental soldiers, including his great-great-great-great grandfather Hewlett Sands, at the African American Civil War Memorial as part of Juneteenth commemorations on Wednesday, June 19, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)](https://mapi.associatedpress.com/v2/items/b6d226235d6d4352a7058a4a2b60e260/preview/preview.jpg?s=680x)
Associated Press reporter Darren Sands, right, reads the names of United States Colored Troops regimental soldiers, including his great-great-great-great grandfather Hewlett Sands, at the African American Civil War Memorial as part of Juneteenth commemorations on Wednesday, June 19, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
![Mark Schiefelbein Associated Press reporter Darren Sands, left, and his wife Jummy Olabanji Sands, right, hold a U.S. flag and a flag from the 26th United States Colored Infantry, which his great-great-great-great grandfather Hewlett Sands served in, at the African American Civil War Memorial during Juneteenth commemorations on Wednesday, June 19, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)](https://mapi.associatedpress.com/v2/items/c5c80c8afc14490fbb1769c6fba4696a/preview/preview.jpg?s=680x)
Associated Press reporter Darren Sands, left, and his wife Jummy Olabanji Sands, right, hold a U.S. flag and a flag from the 26th United States Colored Infantry, which his great-great-great-great grandfather Hewlett Sands served in, at the African American Civil War Memorial during Juneteenth commemorations on Wednesday, June 19, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)