Juneteenth is Friday, June 19th, 2020.

In the wake of the murder of George Floyd, the protests, the marches, the Black Lives Matter movement and more, you may have heard mention of the holiday. More specifically because the President had planned a rally on the date in Tulsa.

We're not going into that controversy as they have moved the date of the event.

I'm here to tell you a little about the holiday itself and point you in the direction of some local events that will be happening to celebrate it.

Juneteenth is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States.  Dating back to 1865, it was on June 19^th that the Union soldiers, led by Major General Gordon Granger, landed at Galveston, Texas with news that the war had ended and that the enslaved were now free. Note that this was two and a half years after President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation - which had become official January 1, 1863. The Emancipation Proclamation had little impact on the Texans due to the minimal number of Union troops to enforce the new Executive Order. However, with the surrender of General Lee in April of 1865, and the arrival of General Granger’s regiment, the forces were finally strong enough to influence and overcome the resistance. (Juneteenth.com)

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The above photo is from an Emancipation Day Celebration, June 19, 1900

Forty-seven of the 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia have recognized Juneteenth as either a state holiday or ceremonial holiday, a day of observance. In Michigan, we recognized it in 2005. (Wikipedia)

Below is a listing of Juneteenth events happening in the Lansing area from the Greater Lansing CVB. Due to the Coronavirus pandemic, the majority of the festivals and events listed in this calendar have been cancelled or postponed. If you have any questions, please reach out to the individual event directly to confirm it is still taking place. (Greater Lansing CVB)

Juneteenth Events in the Lansing, Michigan Area

Lansing Juneteenth Celebration

Juneteenth Sunset Yoga at Rotary Park Friday, June 19th at 8:30 pm 

Juneteenth Celebration at Moores River Park Friday, June 19th at 4 pm 

Juneteenth Community Picnic at Saint Joseph Park

Virtual/Online Events

Lansing Juneteenth Black Family Reunion The Music, The Moments, The Movement June 19, 2020 – 4 pm

Lansing Juneteenth Poetry Night Online event – June 19th at 8 pm