This year, Juneteenth is Wednesday, June 19, 2024. Our Be Curious posts have focused on heritage months, however, we think it’s important to learn more about Juneteenth, a celebration of the end of chattel slavery of Black people in the United States. This year, Juneteenth is Wednesday, June 19, 2024.
On June 19, 1865, Union troops arrived in Galveston, Texas with the news that the more than 250,000 enslaved Black people in the state were free. This was nearly 2 years after the emancipation proclamation.
Juneteenth is also referred to as Emancipation Day, Freedom Day, Jubilee Day and Liberation Day. Juneteenth National Independence Day is the first federal holiday established since Martin Luther King Jr. Day in 1983 and is at least the 11th federal holiday recognized by the US federal government.
We encourage you to learn more about the origins of this federal holiday from the National Museum of African American History & Culture. Or attend the “We Are the Noise: The Echoes of our Ancestors” event organized by the University of Minnesota which includes a march, free food, art, speakers and more.
You may also explore a number of events that honor this day:
– Minneapolis
– St. Paul
– Woodbury
These events are not only on Wednesday, June 19 but the weekend before and after. Find one that works with your schedule.
Happy learning, curious community members!
Read all the Valley Outreach Be Curious posts here.
