There are plenty of ways to celebrate Juneteenth in the Historic Triangle starting today and into next week.
The holiday commemorates June 19, 1865 — the day that enslaved people in Galveston, Texas, learned of their freedom two and a half years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation, which freed enslaved people in Southern states. President Joe Biden made Juneteenth a federal holiday in 2021.
“It’s a very important holiday, especially in the African diaspora,” said Lawrence Gholson II, president of the York-James City-Williamsburg branch of the NAACP. “The reason we celebrate it is because the last enslaved folks in Texas in Galveston were not aware, because there was no cellphone, there was no internet … They found out two years after (the) Emancipation Proclamation that they were free.”
U.S. Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger spread the news in Texas. He issued an order on June 19, 1865, informing the people of Texas that all enslaved people had been freed. His troops had arrived in Galveston the previous day.
Though officially outlawed, Gholson said slavery persisted in the shadows. “Let’s be clear, there were still a lot of practices even after that where we found that folks were still enslaved in one form or another.”
Celebrating Juneteenth is important for Black culture because it teaches an important part of history not widely embraced in the country until recently, Gholson said. However, he said Black people in the South have been celebrating the holiday for a long time with red velvet cake and red punch.
Local events to celebrate Juneteenth include:
- Today from 1-5 p.m. at Freedom Park in James City County. Freedom Fest, hosted by the NAACP and the county at Centerville Road park, will include live music, readings and performances in addition to a presentation on the history of the holiday.
- Today from 3-8 p.m. at the McReynolds Athletic Complex in York County. The celebration include a DJ, live music, family activities, food and a showing of “The Little Mermaid” at 8:30 p.m.
- Sunday sunrise service at 6 a.m. at the Compton Oak on Market Square. The Colonial Williamsburg event features world-renowned poet and writer Nikki Giovanni.
- Sunday at 3 p.m. at Jamestown Settlement. There will be performances and discussions on Virginia’s role in emancipation after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation. “Prelude to Juneteenth” is free, but registration is encouraged at jyfmuseums.org/events/programs-activities/juneteenth
- June 18 from 10 a.m. to 1o.m. at William & Mary’s Sadler Center. Free celebration focusing on education and achievement with performers, vendors and more. For information, visit wm.edu/sites/juneteenth.
- June 19 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Colonial Williamsburg. There will be free admission to the Historic Area and Art Museums in honor of the holiday. Colonial Williamsburg is also holding an array of special programming. For a schedule and tickets, visit colonialwilliamsburg.org/explore/special-event/celebrate-juneteenth.
- June 19 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the northwest corner of Francis and Nassau streets. The Let Freedom Ring Foundation and The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation will unveil burial markers of the 62 ancestors buried at the Nassau Street site of the Historic First Baptist Church of Williamsburg.
- June 19 from 1-7 p.m. outside the Williamsburg Community Building. The Village Initiative’s Fourth Annual Juneteenth Freedom Celebration will have music, food a “Freedom Marketplace” and more. The event will include the crowning of Little Miss and Mister Juneteenth, Ava Nicole Jackson and Chase Reed Haskins.
Gholson said whatever someone does to celebrate the day, from a backyard cookout to community events and religious services, it’s important to recognize the historic importance of the holiday.
“There’s not a wrong way to celebrate it, because you’re honoring it,” Gholson said. “The only thing to dishonor it is not to understand it deserves recognition and celebration.”
“This is our July Fourth,” he added. “For us, Juneteenth is the day that the last known enslaved person was set free, so that’s the date that we honor as the end of slavery in America for Black people.”
History plays a large role in the holiday, and Gholson said his family makes sure to talk to younger family members about ancestors in the family. After the deaths of his father and his mother-in-law in 2019, his family has begun to bring ornaments to the celebration representing each of them.
His mother-in-law’s nickname was “Buttercup,” and he said that since her passing, butterflies have landed on buttercup flowers that have periodically popped up in his backyard. That led the family to buy a butterfly ornament that they now take to the family’s Juneteenth celebrations now to represent her.
Gholson’s father was a musician, so the family brings a guitar ornament to Juneteenth celebrations to remember him.
Gholson emphasized that celebrating Juneteenth does not detract from other holidays in the country. But, he said, it’s nonetheless important to celebrate.
“It’s the American story not necessarily told to everyone,” he said, “and that not only makes it something to commemorate, but it adds to understanding.”
For more, visit the Juneteenth Community Consortium’s website at juneteenthcc.org. A list of events can also be found at Visit Williamsburg’s website at visitwilliamsburg.com/events/juneteenth.
Sam Schaffer, samuel.schaffer@virginiamedia.com
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