“All persons held as slaves within any state, or designated as part of a state, the people whereof shall then, be in rebellion against the United States, shall be then, henceforward, and forever free.” These famous words became known as the Emancipation Proclamation, delivered in 1963 and marking the initial step to abolish slavery in the United States.
It would take two and half more years before Union Major Gen. Gordon Granger and his 2,000 troops arrived in Galveston, Texas, to read aloud General Order No. 3 freeing the enslaved on June 19, 1965. This date would become known as Juneteenth. But it would take nearly 156 more years and a lot of miles walked by a 94-year-old woman from Fort Worth named Opal Lee before Juneteenth was declared a national holiday.
Credit: Richard Burkhart/Savannah Morning News
Credit: Richard Burkhart/Savannah Morning News
To honor the 158th year of Juneteenth, Savannah hosts all-ages events to celebrate:
6p.m., June 15, Juneteenth Lecture with Queen Quet, Jepson Center, 207 W. York St.
Learn about local culture and history by attending Telfair Museum’s Juneteenth lecture with Queen Quet, founder of the premiere advocacy organization for the continuation of Gullah Geechee culture, the Gullah Geechee Sea Island Coalition, where she will discuss land ownership among Gullah Geechee people in the coastal south.
11 a.m. to 6 p.m., June 17, Cultural Juneteenth Music Festival at Wells Park, 2299 Montgomery St.
The event will include Juneteenth education, an awards ceremony, and a wide array of live music including Jazz artist Stephanie Collier, Abenei’s dance group, Jimmy Lloyd Brown of Brick, and many more.
1 to 7 p.m., June 17, Fine Arts Festival at Forsyth Park, downtown Savannah
Celebrating arts and culture, there will be an opening ceremony followed by African drumming, live music, dancing, food trucks, giveaways and, of course, arts. This is a family-friendly event with a kids play area, so all are welcome. At 1:30 p.m., Chosen For The Arts celebrates with gospel songs and praise as well as jazz music, dancing, education, fine arts and food trucks.
1 p.m., June 17, Juneteenth Youth Power Festival at Daffin Park, 1 Waring Drive
Come out to celebrate with Book Nation of Dreams and Partners, Hello Neighbor, Savannah Chatham Sustainability Coalition, and UMA as they work to empower Savannah’s youth. This event will educate youth about the history of Juneteenth, encourage future leaders and facilitate community workshops. There will be music, entertainment and food available to all who attend.
11 a.m., June 17-19, Tybee MLK Juneteenth Celebration, Memorial Park, 401 Jones Ave.
Tybee MLK Human Rights Organization is hosting a weekend-long celebration on Tybee Island. Starting at 11 a.m. at Memorial Park, there will be music, entertainment, arts, dancing and food for all ages. The following day at 9 a.m. the event continues to Tybrisa Street, where a wade-in ceremony at the pier will honor the sacrifices made by African ancestors, followed by drumming and storytelling.
Noon to 6 p.m., June 17, Pooler's Juneteenth Celebration at Tanger Outlets, 200 Tanger Outlets Blvd.
Pooler’s Juneteenth Celebration Committee is hosting an event at Tanger Outlets. It will feature music from a wide array of artists, kids activities, vendors, food trucks as well as education about the history of Juneteenth.
12:30 p.m., June 18, Father’s Day Gospel Celebration and Juneteenth Brunch at District Live, 400 W. River St.
Music starts at 1:30 p.m., featuring artists Gary Swindell Jr., Calvin J and Antwan Smalls. There will be a Southern-inspired buffet style brunch hosted by Plant Riverside’s culinary team. Brunch will also include a full cocktail bar.
Noon to 4 p.m., June 19, Urban Hope’s Juneteenth Fundraiser at the Whitefield Center, 106 E 37th St.
Urban Hope is hosting a fundraiser dinner. Urban Hope is an afterschool youth program which helps with education, providing meals to children, and community outreach. To donate or participate go to urbanhopesavannah.org
This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: DO Savannah: All-ages celebrations planned throughout city for Juneteenth
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