MSU to host fifth annual Juneteenth celebration at Multicultural Center

Although the 1863 Emancipation Proclamation is often considered the end of slavery in the U.S., enslaved people in Texas were not informed of their freedom until June 19, 1865. Since then, June 19, dubbed “Juneteenth,” became a date in which millions of Black Americans celebrate, reflect and hope for everlasting freedom.

Michigan State University will host its fifth annual Juneteenth celebration in the Multicultural Center on June 12 from 5 p.m.-8:30 p.m. with doors opening at 4:30 p.m. The event started in 2021, the same year Juneteenth became nationally recognized as a federal holiday, and honors the day that all African American slaves were freed in the U.S.

This year’s event theme is “A Juneteenth Renaissance: Bridging Freedom’s Legacy and Tomorrow’s Vision,” which aims to celebrate and recognize the contributions of both the past and contemporary artists, scientists and advocates who work tirelessly to center Black excellence in the fabric of American society and culture.  

The emcee for this year’s celebration is violinist and motivational speaker Rodney Page.

“Lift Every Voice and Sing,” often referred to as the Black national anthem, will be performed by rising music senior Maliah Cook. For Cook, the opportunity to perform the song is a great honor.

“It’s always an honor to be selected by the faculty and it just means so much to me, not only like as a vocalist, but as someone that can represent the spirit of the celebration,” Cook said. “It’s a chance to honor the community, our history and everyone that came before me.”

Cook said “Lift Every Voice and Sing” is a symbol of freedom and a reminder of Black Americans’ strength and resilience.

“It honors the struggle and it recognizes that there’s still work to be done,” Cook said. “(Juneteenth) is a reminder of everything we’ve been through as Black Americans and it gives us hope for the future.”

Amanda Flores and Marquis Taylor, who will greet attendees at the start of this year’s Juneteenth celebrations, are co-chairing the event. 

Taylor, who has been on the planning committee for three years, described the event as a “festive environment with food, people, community and learning.”

“It brings people out from not only the MSU community, but the Greater Lansing and Mid-Michigan community and for many people, it may be their first time on MSU’s campus so we try to create a welcome environment for all people,” Taylor said. 

Taylor said that through the event, attendees are able to learn about different cultural traditions and celebrations they may not be familiar with.

“I think that Juneteenth is a catalyst for all celebrations that have not been traditionally recognized,” Taylor said. “What it means to me personally is something that we need to do as a nation a better job of recognizing because many people don’t know about this work.”

Flores referred back to the university’s land-grant mission and the goal to create experiences that impact the local community while reaching rural communities in non-traditional ways.

“We use Juneteenth not only as a platform to recognize the holiday but to incorporate educational components,” Flores said. 

This year, MSU partnered with the Detroit Association of Black Storytellers, who work to preserve the traditions of Black storytelling, offering educational retellings on Juneteenth, Idlewild, Michigan and Black Wall Street and the Tulsa, Oklahoma massacre in 1921. The event will also showcase the Black Wall Street Vendor Fair, featuring over 40 local businesses.

The event will also showcase an MSU Juneteenth spotlight, featuring Vice Provost for Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies and Dean of the Graduate School Pero G. Dagbovie, gospel music performed by Gregory D and Company, line dancing with Dancing with the Nodés and giveaways for attendees.

Other Juneteenth events planned for the Greater Lansing area include the following:

Those who are interested in attending MSU’s Juneteenth celebration are encouraged to RSVP here.