Juneteenth 2021: How Miami Marks The End Of Slavery

MIAMI, FL — As efforts to make Juneteenth a national holiday continue, people in the Miami area are having celebrations of their own. Juneteenth, held annually on June 19, celebrates 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.”

In Miami, there are several Juneteenth celebrations, including:

• Bulldozing Barriers: Reflections of Juneteenth and Diversity in Miami: Friday, 6 to 9 p.m., at Historic Ward Rooming House, 249 NW 9th Street, Miami. Learn more about this panel conversation here.
• Juneteenth Music & Food Festival: Friday, 8 p.m. to midnight; Saturday, noon to 7:30 p.m.; and Sunday, 6 to 9 p.m. at The Sand Bowl at Bandshell Park, 7275 Collins Ave., Miami Beach. This three-day festival celebrates Black Music Month with music, food and drinks.
• FIU Juneteenth Freedom Day Celebration: Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., at Florida International University, 11200 SW 8th Street, Miami. Join FIU’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion department for a day of workshops and seminars.
• Juneteenth on Ali Baba Festival: Saturday, 4 to 9 p.m., at the Arts and Recreation Center, 675 Ali Baba Ave., Opa-locka. This event features live entertainment, visual and performing arts, interactive workshops, and food.
• Juneteenth Drive-in Celebration: Saturday, 4 to 10 p.m., at Calder Casino, Lot E, 21001 NW 27th Ave. in Miami Gardens. Hosted by the city of Miami Gardens, this drive-in event features musical acts and food trucks.
• Juneteenth Celebration Arts Showcase: Saturday, 6 p.m. This live art event features Black artists and businesses showcasing art pieces about what Juneteenth means to them. Free entry and all ages welcome.
• Black is the New Black Stand-Up Comedy Show, Juneteenth Edition: Saturday, 8:30 to 10 p.m., at Villain Theater, 5865 NE 2nd Ave., Miami. Stand-up comedians from South Florida and New York take the iconic Villain Theater stage for a night of laughter and storytelling.
• Juneteeth Celebration Service: Sunday, 11 a.m., at Tabernacle Seventh-day Adventist Church, 8017 NE 2nd Ave., Miami. Explore the Civil Rights era through music, dramatic presentation and God’s word. Learn more here.

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.