The Avondale Alliance for Racial Justice invites the public to celebrate Juneteenth. The event takes place 5 to 7 p.m. on June 19, according to a press release.
There will be outdoor activities along North Avondale Road/College Avenue featuring live performances of music by Dia Scott, drumming by Jamaali, dance and musical performances by students from the DeKalb School of the Arts, and a dance class from Dance Werk by Ayesha at My Parents Basement. A Kiddie Korner will provide storytelling, coloring, toy drum making and education about Juneteenth at Banjo Coffee.
Food and other vendors will be in front of 1 Shot Wellness, 2711 E. College Ave.
Juneteenth celebrates the date (June 19) the last slaves in the nation were reached by Union troops in Galveston, Texas and told they were free - more than two and a half years after the emancipation proclamation.
The name “Juneteenth” references the date of the holiday, combining the words “June” and “nineteenth.”
Currently, North Dakota, South Dakota and Hawaii are the only states that do not recognize Juneteenth, also known as Emancipation Day, as a holiday.