16 Jun 2022

Events:

Ways to Celebrate Juneteenth Locally

Juneteenth is when we celebrate the news of freedom arriving in Texas, as General Order Number 3 was read on June 19, 1865. President Biden made the celebration a national holiday on June 17, 2021. Here are a few things to do for this very special holiday around town. But first, we wanted to ask a local crusader for the rights of Black youth and Black families, Maurice Cook, what Juneteenth means to him. Maurice is Executive Director of Serve Your City and Lead Organizer with Ward 6 Mutual Aid:

SYCW6MA t-shirts on sale. See link below.

This Juneteenth we’re not just celebrating those ancestors who finally received the news of our Black victory against the most challenging institutional battle for liberation, our enslavement. We’re also celebrating the strength of those most precious ancestors who were stolen from Africa, and survived the journey to this stolen land. We will celebrate their belief in us, their children, to keep pushing forward in our continued captivity.” 

Maurice adds, “It took 12 years for us to sell merchandise. We were just waiting for our young people to design, build, manage, and take ownership. Passing the torch to them is the mission and my favorite part of Juneteenth…and the music, food, love, family, community and all the joy. Buy your shirt and stick your chest out because you’re proud of them and proud of what we do. And what we do is love. We do this. Love is what we do.”

Why not support Serve Your City and get something meaningful for dad or for yourself? Click here to buy one of their limited-edition Juneteenth t-shirts. The proceeds go directly to help Mutual Aid efforts in Ward 6 and beyond.

Learn a little about the history of Juneteenth in Galveston and a mural titled “Absolute Equality” through the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

Artwork for the Sisterhood Supper. Details below.

Take part in a Juneteenth Sisterhood Supper on Saturday, June 18 from 2-6 p.m. at The Well, 300 Valley Avenue SE in Ward 8. Enjoy food, music and prizes. More information about the celebration and its meaning here and RSVP here.

There will be a two-day rally based out of Stanton Park and organized by Black Bodies for Black Power. The rally’s focus is on both on Black bodily autonomy and abortion rights. For more information, follow them on Instagram or check out their website here.

There will be a Juneteenth Marathon starting at Fort Stanton Park this Saturday. More info here. Register for the race here.

Read this Juneteenth article on StreetSense, written by one of their vendors, Angie Whitehurst.

Want music to celebrate Juneteenth but don’t want to do three days? Union Stage is doing a Juneteenth Freedom Day Music Festival on Sunday the 19. More info and tickets here.

Finally, Pharrell Williams is headlining Something in the Water, a HUGE festival taking place along Independence Avenue SW between 3rd and 9th Streets SW this Juneteenth weekend, June 17-19, 2022 (map). The festival has its origins in Virginia Beach, but this year they are moving up farther north. The line-up is big and DCPS 2022 graduates get a free pass each. Wanna go? Buy tickets here.

Whatever you do and wherever you celebrate, Happy Juneteenth and let freedom ring!


What's trending

Comments are closed.

Social Media Auto Publish Powered By : XYZScripts.com
Add to Flipboard Magazine.