Juneteenth 2021: How Minnesota Marks The End Of Slavery

ACROSS MINNESOTA — With the stroke of his pen Thursday, President Joe Biden made Juneteenth an official annual holiday just in time for observances planned in Minnesota.

Before Biden made it an official holiday — something the Senate agreed to unanimously in a consent agreement and the House voted overwhelmingly for in a roll call vote — Juneteenth commemorations were held on June 19 to mark the end of slavery in the United States and the date many slaves in Texas finally found out they were free.

Juneteenth is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the end of slavery in the United States, according to Juneteenth.com. It is “a day, a week, and in some areas a month marked with celebrations, guest speakers, picnics and family gatherings.” In recent years, Juneteenth “commemorates African-American freedom and emphasizes education and achievement.”

Here are some of the Juneteenth celebrations taking place in Minnesota:

• Juneteenth Jubilee- A MN Black Box Bazaar: MN Black Box is hosting a Pop-Up/ Marketplace/ Bazaar June 19 from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. at Hopkins Center For The Arts that will highlight Black Box partner businesses. Social distancing and masks will be required.
• BAU Juneteenth Celebration: Black Athletes United is hosting a Juneteenth celebration June 19 from 2-6 p.m. at Dunning Field in Saint Paul. The celebration will include speakers, music, food, games, family fun and more.
• 2021 Juneteenth Freedom Celebration: The Anika Foundation and House of Refuge Outreach TC are co-hosting a Juneteenth celebration June 19 from 1-5 p.m. at Allianz Field in Saint Paul. The Anika Foundation shared on Facebook that there will be free food, vendors, free walk-up vaccines, housing and food resources, and more.
• Juneteenth Celebration: One Minnesota Together is hosting its second annual Juneteenth celebration June 19 from 2-8 p.m. at Round Lake Park in Eden Prairie. The event will include food, drinks and education.
• Juneteenth: Let Your Voice Be Heard & Step Up!: West Side Community Organization is hosting a Juneteenth celebration June 19 from 4:30-7 p.m. at Castillo Park in Saint Paul. The event will include conversation, food and music.
• Juneteenth Celebration: Until We Are All Free is hosting a Juneteenth Celebration June 19 from 2-10 p.m. The event will be a block party at 3311 E. 25th St. in Minneapolis and will have artists, vendors, poets, and more.
• JUNETEENTH- Celebrating Freedom Day: Midtown Global Market in Roseville is hosting a Juneteenth celebration June 19 from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. The event will include food, education, performances, trivia, kid's coloring, and more.
• The Juneteenth SLOW ROLL for Sickle Cell - A BIKE RIDE: Slow Roll Minneapolis, The Cultural Wellness Center, Melanin in Motion and Sickle Cell Foundation of Minnesota are hosting a bike ride at 10 a.m. on June 19 at the trailhead at 1221 Theodore Wirth Parkway to bring awareness to Sickle Cell Disease. The event is free for children but adults are asked to contribute $10. After the bike ride, there will be a celebration at 1221 Theodore Wirth Parkway with refreshments. Registration for the bike ride begins at 8 a.m. that day.
• Juneteenth Celebration!: Transformative Circle is hosting a Juneteenth celebration June 19 from 12-5 p.m. at Lions - Coon Creek Park in Coon Rapids. The event will have speakers, poetry, and more.
• Juneteenth 2021 Family Reunion: There will be a Juneteenth event June 19 at Apple Valley High School from 4-8 p.m. The event will include music, entertainment, speakers, food and retail vendors, dancing, educational experiences, activities for kids, and more.
• Juneteenth Celebration: The city of Burnsville is hosting a Juneteenth celebration June 19 from 1-3:30 p.m. at North River Hills Park. The event will include guest speakers, crafts, entertainment by Tropics Steel Drum Band, a dance party led by line dance leader Teresa Hart-Sandifer and music by U.P.G. choir.
• Woodbury Juneteenth Celebration: The Road to Equality: Woodbury for Justice and Equality is hosting a Juneteenth event on June 19 from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. at Ojibway Park. The event will feature speakers, informational booths, children's activities and food trucks.

Juneteenth is held on June 19 because that was the date in 1865 when Union Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas, to announce that the Civil War had ended and all slaves were free. Many of the slaves in Texas had not known of President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation, which had actually given them freedom more than two years earlier.

Granger read “General Order No. 3,” which stated, “The people of Texas are informed that, in accordance with a proclamation from the executive of the United States, all slaves are free. This involves an absolute equality of personal rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves,” according to the city of Galveston, which has an historical marker for its connection to the holiday.

Henry Louis Gates Jr., a Harvard University professor and African American historian, wrote in The Root magazine that Juneteenth is “an occasion for gathering lost family members, measuring progress against freedom and inculcating rising generations with the values of self-importance and racial uplift.”
Most states have Juneteenth listed as an official holiday, although it is not a national holiday. In 1980, Texas became the first state to designate Juneteenth as a holiday. In the time since, 45 other states have decided to officially recognize the day, according to The New York Times.

Juneteenth celebrations have occurred in most states, according to Juneteenth.com. A number of cities and towns held events and parades for the 150th anniversary in 2015.

Also On Patch: What Is Juneteenth? 5 Things To Know About The Holiday That Marks The End Of Slavery

More and more places, such as Anne Arundel County, Maryland, are recognizing Juneteenth as an official holiday. County offices will be closed on Friday, June 18, in observance of the Saturday holiday this year, and Annapolis will host Maryland’s first Juneteenth festival with a parade through the state capital.

"Celebrating Juneteenth as an official county holiday demonstrates our county's true commitment to freedom and equality — for all," Anne Arundel County Executive Steuart Pittman said in a statement. "The growing national push for observance of Juneteenth is an important step as we move forward toward justice for this community, in light of centuries of racism, discrimination, and inequity."

Some major American brands — Twitter, Nike and the National Football League, included — have made Juneteenth a paid company holiday.

Are we missing an event? Send it in to morgan.reddekopp@patch.com !