June 19 is Juneteenth, the day when word of the Emancipation Proclamation ending slavery finally arrived in Galveston, Texas. Monday marks 157 years, 11 months and 27 days since several regiments of U.S. Colored Troops marched onto the island, where U.S. Army Major General Gordon Granger issued General Order, Number 3, on June 15, 1865:
“The people of Texas are informed that, in accordance with a proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free. This involves an absolute equality of personal rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves, and the connection heretofore existing between them becomes that between employer and hired labor. The freedmen are advised to remain quietly at their present homes and work for wages. They are informed that they will not be allowed to collect at military posts and that they will not be supported in idleness either there or elsewhere.”
—General Order Number 3, June 15, 1865
President Abraham Lincoln had issued the proclamation on January 1, 1863—896 days earlier.
Black Galvestonians celebrated the date each year, buying properties around town on which to hold the party. Juneteenth observances spread across the United States, and Texas native Opal Lee campaigned for Juneteenth to become a federally recognized holiday. She walked from Fort Worth to Washington, D.C. and gathered more than a million signatures on an online petition. Lee achieved her goal on June 17, 2021, when President Joseph Biden signed the Juneteenth holiday into law. When Lee was 12, white rioters in Forth Worth burned her family’s home to the ground on Juneteenth 1939. Lee told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, “The fact that it happened on the 19th day of June has spurred me to make people understand that Juneteenth is not just a festival.”
Celebrations this weekend
Saturday, June 17
- 10 a.m.-10 p.m.: Juneteenth Atlanta Parade and Music Festival, Centennial Olympic Park, Atlanta. Admission is free. The parade will be televised and promises “captivating floats, colorful dance troops, community youth organizations, mesmerizing marching bands, and esteemed local and national dignitaries.”
- Juneteenth Clayton County 5th Annual Freedom Festival, Lee Street Park, Jonesboro. Presented by LaDonna Hampton.
- 12 p.m.-6 p.m.: Main Street Market Juneteenth Pop-Up, 7982 North Main Street Jonesboro
- 4 p.m.-10 p.m.: Juneteenth-Nik family cookout, Brookdale Park, East Point
- 5 p.m.: Riverdale Juneteenth Celebration, Riverdale Town Center
- Juneteenth Celebration of Freedom, East Point
- 5 p.m.-9 p.m. Atlanta NAACP Juneteenth Free Concert, East Point City Hall, 2757 East Point Street. Vendors and food trucks will be on hand, too!
- 12 p.m.-5 p.m.: Juneteenth Maker’s Market, Ponce City Market, 675 Ponce de Leon Ave., Atlanta. Shop with Black businesses and enjoy food and entertainment, right off the Beltline.
Sunday, June 18
- 9 a.m.-8 p.m.: Juneteenth Atlanta Parade and Music Festival, Centennial Olympic Park, Atlanta. Admission is free.
- Juneteenth Clayton County 5th Annual Freedom Festival, Lee Street Park, Jonesboro. Presented by LaDonna Hampton.
- Juneteenth Celebration of Freedom, East Point
- 9 a.m.-4 p.m.: The Atlanta History Center holds its annual immersive Juneteenth celebration. Learn how to trace your ancestors, enjoy live music and storytelling, food, and quiltmaking, plus interactive crafts, yoga, presentations, kids’ activities, and more! Parking is free. Members enter free ($75/year); ticket prices vary. Atlanta History Center, 130 West Paces Ferry Road NW, Atlanta, (404) 814-4000.
- 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.: Juneteenth at the Children’s Museum of Atlanta. Includes storytelling by Mama Koku. Must book online in advance. $19.95. Choose Session A or B when booking. 275 Centennial Olympic Park.
- 12 p.m.-5 p.m.: Juneteenth Maker’s Market, Ponce City Market, 675 Ponce de Leon Ave., Atlanta. Shop with Black businesses and enjoy food and entertainment, right off the Beltline.
