June 16, 2023
Flag Plaza
11 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Join us for community, food, and celebration of Juneteenth. During this celebration we will hear reflections from Dr. Jacqueline Hughes, the singing of the Black National Anthem, hear from Nia Gipson and students from the Black Student Coalition, and raise the Juneteenth flag.
Juneteenth, or “Freedom Day” is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States. This holiday is considered the “longest running African-American holiday” and has been called “America’s second Independence Day.” It was on June 19, 1865, that Union soldiers, led by Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger, landed in Galveston, Texas, with news that the Civil War had ended and that all enslaved people were free.
The first Juneteenth celebration was a time for reassuring each other, praying and gathering remaining family members together. For decades, Juneteenth continued to be highly revered in Texas, with many former slaves and descendants making an annual pilgrimage back to Galveston on this date. In the early years, there was little interest outside the African American community in participating in the celebrations. Some communities even barred the use of public property for the festivities.
Since its origin in Galveston, the observance of June 19th as the African American Emancipation Day has spread across the U.S. and beyond. Today Juneteenth commemorates African American freedom and emphasizes education and achievement. It is a day, a week, and in some areas, a month marked with celebrations, guest speakers, picnics and family gatherings. It is a time for reflection and rejoicing. It is a time for assessment, self-improvement and for planning the future.
In cities across the country, people of all races, nationalities and religions are joining hands to truthfully acknowledge a period in our history that shaped and continues to influence our society today. Sensitized to the conditions and experiences of each other, only then can we make significant and lasting improvements in our society.
Events
Bellingham
Bellingham
WWU Flag Plaza
Juneteenth Celebration: Reflect - Act - Celebrate
11 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Presented by Western's Black Student Coalition & Office of Equity
Bellingham
Bellingham
Maritime Heritage Park
Juneteenth Freedom Day Celebration
2 - 6 p.m.
Sponsored by the Bellingham Unity Committee
Bellingham
Boulevard Park
Juneteenth Celebration
2 p.m. – 6 p.m
Presented by Miraculous Eventz and Miracle Jones
Other Ways to Celebrate
Tour the Senses of Freedom Collection
Explore the Tastes, Sounds and Experiences of an African American Celebration at the National Museum of African American History and Culture.
Watch the Tastes of Resilience to learn the symbolism of red foods, and listen to Sounds of Freedom celebrating the ways slaves sung their way to freedom.
Learn the History
Learn more about Juneteenth: watch the PBS series: Juneteenth Jamboree, or watch Just Mercy: a film based on the life work of civil rights attorney Bryan Stevenson that focuses on the systematic racism in our society.
Research your Family's History
With help from the Black Heritage Society of Washington State, learn about your family's history and honor the tradition of early Juneteenth celebrations when Black Texans gathered to try to locate missing relatives, and then marked the day by holding family reunions.
Attend a Virtual Literary Festival
Attend a free Juneteenth virtual literary festival offered by the New York Public Library on June 19, 2023.
Read with your Kids
Discover resources to talk about race, ethnicity and racism with your children or read a book from this list to share Juneteenth with your kids.