JACKSON, Miss. (WJTV) – Many communities in Mississippi will commemorate Juneteenth. This year, Juneteenth will be on Monday, June 19.
The holiday commemorates the date when news of the Emancipation Proclamation reached enslaved people in Galveston, Texas. The proclamation, signed by President Abraham Lincoln on January 1, 1863, declared free all enslaved people in Confederate states. Some of the newly freed weren’t aware of their freedom until U.S. Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger reached Galveston, Texas, on June 19, 1865, to enforce the proclamation.
Here are some of the Juneteenth events that will take place across the Jackson-metro area this month:
Free Admission to the Two Mississippi Museums
- HII’s Ingalls Shipbuilding division will sponsor free admission to the museums on Saturday, June 17 through Monday, June 19. Juneteenth-themed tours through the museums will be available at 10:30 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. on June 17 and at 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, June 18. On June 19, visitors can enjoy free Juneteenth-themed tours at 10:30 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. There will also be a Jubilee Celebration on Monday, June 19.
Mississippi Juneteenth Homecoming Celebration
- This event will take place Friday, June 16 through Sunday, June 18 in Jackson. There will be a kickoff celebration on Friday at the Jackson Convention Complex. On Saturday, there will be a a “Soiree En Blanc” at the Capital Club. On Sunday, there will be a Juneteenth Father’s Day Heritage & Legacy Dinner at New Horizon.
2nd Annual Juneteenth Festival
- The 2nd Annual Juneteenth Festival will be held at Smith Park in Jackson on Saturday, June 17 from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The event will celebrate freedom and culture. There will be food and retail/service vendors. There will also be live entertainment and activities for kids.
- This event will be held in the Farish Street Historic District in Jackson on Saturday, June 17. Attendees will be able celebrate heritage and culture from 5:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.
- The Smith Robertson Museum and Cultural Center will host Dr. Daphne Chamberlain, Associate Professor of History | Tougaloo College and Dr. Judith Reifsteck, Author of “Memoried” & “Storied,” in a Juneteenth Jubilee observance. The event will be held on Monday, June 20 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.