ANN ARBOR, MI — Washtenaw County offers a number of ways to celebrate Juneteenth in 2024.
The holiday commemorates June 19, 1865, when Union Army Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger announced emancipation to Texas slaves, two and a half years after President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation which freed all enslaved people within the Confederacy.
Juneteenth became a federal holiday in 2021 and is being celebrated in a variety of ways from flag raisings to large celebrations. Here are a few events to check out around Washtenaw County.
Ann Arbor
Juneteenth flag raising
Washtenaw County is hosting its fourth-annual Juneteenth flag raising ceremony and program at 9 a.m. Friday, June 14, at the Washtenaw County Administration Atrium, 220 N. Main St. The event features a keynote speaker and performances by local youth, community members and faith leaders.
Community Unity Walk
The 30th-annual Community Unity Walk and Juneteenth celelebration, hosted by Ann Arbor’s branch of the NAACP, starts at 10 a.m. Saturday, June 15, at Fuller Park, 1519 Fuller Road, and goes to Wheeler Park, 200 Depot St., where a variety of activities are planned from noon to 6 p.m., including a cake walk, a jazz saxophonist and a mime.
Participants can expect vendors, soul food, barbecue, ice cream, a children’s area along with a handful of live performances.
University of Michigan Juneteenth Symposium
The University of Michigan’s annual Juneteenth Symposium brings two days of visual art, performances and discussions to celebrate Black activism.
Events are Thursday, June 20, to Friday, June 21, at the Michigan League, 911 N. University Ave. The symposium is hosted by the Office of Academic Multicultural Initiatives in partnership with the Juneteenth Planning Committee.
A full list of the events can be found online.
North Star Lounge’s discussion of “There Went the Neighborhood: The Closing of Jones School”
North Star Lounge, 301 N. Fifth Ave., is hosting an event that takes a look at Ann Arbor history.
A screening and discussion of the documentary “There Went the Neighborhood: The Closing of Jones School,” is 7 to 9 p.m. Wednesday, June 19. The film was created by 7 Cylinders Studio and the Ann Arbor District Library.
Related: ‘There goes the neighborhood’: Ann Arbor’s former Jones School the focus of new documentary
The film revolves around the school that was an anchor in Ann Arbor’s historically Black neighborhood now known as Kerrytown, and the Ann Arbor School Board’s decision to close it in 1965. The documentary features interviews with former Jones students and Black community leaders about their memories of Jones School.
Ann Arbor District Library’s Juneteenth event
The Ann Arbor District Library is hosting “Juneteenth: The History and Aftermath of African American Women,” from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, June 19, at its Westgate branch, 2503 Jackson Ave.
Peter Boykin, a Wayne County Community College history instructor, will dive into the history and impact of Juneteenth. The library will also provide a livestream for this event online.
Ypsilanti
Ypsilanti’s annual Juneteenth Celebration
Ypsilanti’s Juneteenth activities are Friday, June 21, to Sunday, June 23, with local vendors, live performances, food trucks and other events.
The festivities are 6 to 9 p.m. Friday, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday and 1 to 7 p.m. Sunday in downtown Ypsilanti in the South Huron parking lot behind Puffer Reds, 107 Ferris St.
Along with the Juneteenth events, there is a walk bringing awareness for sickle cell disease starting at 9 a.m. on Saturday at the new University Bank Branch, 301 W. Michigan Ave.
Learn more about Ypsilanti’s Juneteenth’s celebrations on social media.
Don’t see your event? Email Makayla Coffee at mcoffee@mlive.com to have it added.
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