Juneteenth is celebrated on June 19th to commemorate the ending of slavery in the United States. The holiday dates back to June 19, 1865 when Union soldiers arrived in Galveston, Texas with news that the Civil War had ended and that enslaved people were free. This was two and a half years after Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation ended slavery. Juneteenth marks the date when the Executive Order was finally put into effect.
Juneteenth has been celebrated by African Americans since 1866. In early Juneteenth celebrations, formerly enslaved men and women and their descendants made an annual pilgrimage to Galveston to mark the occasion. Juneteenth celebrations have traditionally included African American foods, prayer, and family gatherings. Some cities hold parades and festivals to celebrate Juneteenth.
Links to Local and Virtual Juneteenth Celebrations:
- Long Beach Juneteenth Cleanup, Long Beach instagram.com/p/CBhNNh7gfn_/?igshid=mivn7a5dpxvt.
- Juneteenth Celebration Rally, Sherman Oaks www.cre8thechange.org
- El Segundo for Black Lives’ Juneteenth Remembrance Ceremony, El Segundo https://www.facebook.com/events/614256202837493/
- Juneteenth Leimert Rising, Los Angeles. https://lahiphopevents.com/event/leimert-park-rising-juneteenth-festival/
- Juneteenth: A Celebration Of Resilience, online event https://nmaahc.si.edu/event/juneteenth-celebration-resilience
- The Illusion of Juneteenth, online event https://generalassembly.zoom.us/webinar/register/9715924055075/WN_BpsuBOGnQk2KtsOJ5mT_2w
- Juneteenth Santa Barbara: “Digital Diaspora,” online event facebook.com/events/2870262303081828
