Juneteenth Celebration

Celebrate Juneteenth With Us This Weekend!

On January 1, 1863, Abraham Lincoln issued the famous Emancipation Proclamation declaring all enslaved people in the Confederate states free. It would take two and a half years, however, for the news to reach enslaved people in Galveston, Texas, when a Union general Gordon Granger arrived there June 19, 1865 to deliver the message. That historic day soon became celebrated by the formerly enslaved as the day of emancipation and freedom and became known as Juneteenth, a contraction of June and nineteenth. Juneteenth continues to be celebrated today, retaining its original significance as a celebration of the freedom of African Americans.

Celebrate Online

This year, we've partnered with 9 other African American history and culture museums to present a virtual Juneteenth celebration! Read more here.

For the program, spoken word poet Bluz performs a 3-minute piece "Free 'em all." See below.

In addition to Bluz's performance, the virtual program also includes a recitation of the Emancipation Proclamation by elected officials representing each of the museums in the collective. Charlotte mayor Vi Lyles represents the Gantt. View the full Juneteenth Week 2021: Lift Every Voice video below and learn more at BlkFreedom.org.

Celebrate at the Gantt

Make plans to celebrate Juneteenth in person with us here at the Gantt. We have the following programs planned for this weekend:

Juneteenth Drum Circle With Drums 4 Life
June 19 | 11 am - 11:45 am

Juneteenth African Dance Experience
June 19 | 1 pm - 2:30 pm