JUNETEENTH EVENTS
Juneteenth is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States. Also known as Emancipation Day, Black Independence Day, Freedom Day, or Jubilee Day, Juneteenth marks June 19, 1865, when Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger arrived with federal troops in Galveston, Texas, and issued an order informing the last enslaved people in Texas that they were free. This came more than two months after the end of the Civil War and 2½ years after President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation freeing slaves in the Southern states. It wasn’t until the ratification of the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution in December 1865 that slavery was abolished throughout the entire country, except as punishment for a crime.
There are several events happening both in-person and virtually over the weekend in celebration and remembrance of Juneteenth. As you reflect on the significance of Juneteenth, please consider joining us at one or more of these events.
52nd JUNETEENTH FESTIVAL – Saturday, June 18, 2022; 11:00 AM - 9:00 PM; Kennedy Park-Fiesta Area (3357 S. La Cholla Blvd.)
Vendors, live entertainment, kid zone, food, fun.
FATHER'S DAY LUNCH AND GOSPEL JUBILEE – Sunday, June 19, 2022; Dunbar Pavilion (325 W. 2nd Street)
Father’s Day Lunch: 2:30 PM - 4:00 PM
Gospel Jubilee: 4:00 PM - 6:00 PM
Music, choirs, spiritual uplift, and food.
BEYOND JUNETEENTH: GETTING TO KNOW BLACK ARIZONA – Monday, June 20, 2022; 12:00 PM; Zoom Webinar
Our observance of Juneteenth will go beyond marking this single historic day and will illuminate and celebrate the history of African Americans in the Southwest and the impact Black Americans have had in shaping our state and our region. Black faculty from across campus with various perspectives include will include Dawn Demps (Educational Policy Studies and Practice), Jerome Dotson (Africana Studies), Michael Johnson (Immunobiology), and Obenewaa Oduro-Opuni (German Studies).
Link to Zoom Webinar: https://arizona.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_bYSaRJTIQ2q-PI5H1Zua8w
To learn more about Juneteenth, check out this video and virtual public programming curated by the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture.