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Local organizations holding Juneteenth events got a boost this week in the form of grants from the City of Columbia.

Columbia Convention and Visitors Bureau distributed $29,800 to 12 organizations or events for promotional assistance. Grant funding was made possible through the Missouri State Council on the Arts.

There were 12 applications, so all applications received a portion of the available pot. The applications represented both new and existing events and initiatives, which were evaluated by an awarding committee, the city said in a news release.

Those awarded include:

  • Columbia NAACP Juneteenth Kickoff Celebration
  • Let Freedom Ring: Columbia African American Business Alliance
  • Celebration at Douglass Park: COMO Juneteenth
  • Powerhouse Annual Juneteenth Event
  • Honoring the Past for a Bright Future: A Juneteenth Celebration: Columbia Housing Authority Moving Ahead Program
  • Fearless and Free: Greater Love Outreach
  • St. Paul AME Church Juneteenth Legacy
  • 2025 Juneteenth Gospel Fest: Fifth Street Christian Church
  • Biffy Styles Juneteenth Celebration
  • From Struggle to Strength, We Rise: Dream Tree Academy
  • Juneteenth Journey: Honoring Survivors, Empowering Voices from the Boone County Community Against Violence
  • Juneteenth Celebration: Arts, Culture & Community at Orr Street Studios

The city will hold a workshop for grant recipients at 5:30 p.m. March 12 at the Walton Building, 300 S. Providence Road, which is the Columbia Convention and Visitors Bureau office. The workshop is intended provide more information to recipients about getting the grant funds and the required post-event report.