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Several groups have festivities to commemorate Juneteenth, a federal holiday that recognizes June 19, 1865, the day Union troops arrived in Galveston, Texas, to announce that the more than 250,000 enslaved Black people living in the state were free, signifying the end of the American Civil War.
President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation on Jan. 1, 1863, establishing that all enslaved people in Confederate states were free, but it wasn’t until two years later that enslaved people in Texas learned of their right to freedom.
As the news spread, newly freed Black Americans began to celebrate, beginning the Juneteenth tradition.
On June 17, 2021, President Joe Biden signed into law the Juneteenth federal holiday, celebrated annually to represent resilience, liberation and progress.
“(The) significance to the lives of African Americans in these two moments, June 19, 1865 and June 17, 2021, represent both freedom realized and freedom acknowledged. Juneteenth is more than a historical date; it is a living reminder that the journey toward equity, truth and reconciliation continues,” said Doris Moore Bailey, who in 1992, organized Florida’s first Juneteenth observance. She currently serves as the National Juneteenth Organization Foundation Region VI Director of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina.
“As we commemorate and observe Juneteenth to date, we honor our ancestors’ sacrifices, celebrate people of the African Diaspora’s resilience and culture, and recommit ourselves to building a country where liberty and justice are truly for all,” she said.
Juneteenth events in Lakeland
Banquet: The official Juneteenth Lakeland Committee, founded by Doris Moore Bailey, is hosting its 33rd Juneteenth annual observance, this year a free banquet for the community tomorrow, Saturday, June 21, from 4-7 p.m. at the Coleman Bush Building, 1104 Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue, Lakeland. The theme is “Giving Back to the Community.”
In the past, the organization has held Juneteenth rodeos, a film festival and a Corvette car show, and co-sponsored a Polk County Authors Literacy Book Festival.
Celebration: There will be a Juneteenth Celebration before the banquet in Jackson Park and the Coleman-Bush Building from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. It will include local artists, a youth parade, a fashion show and soul food vendors.
“This event allows Lakeland residents to participate in a growing national tradition with deep historical and cultural significance…It’s a powerful reflection of Lakeland’s diversity and community spirit,” Brenda Truedell said in a news release.
Freedom Festival: The 2025 Juneteenth Freedom Festival celebrates Juneteenth with live music, food vendors, historical exhibits and festivities on Saturday, June 28, from 1-6 p.m. at Simpson Park Community Center, 1725 Martin L. King, Jr. Ave.
This is the festival’s third year. It’s an annual event that celebrates “Black excellence, freedom, and unity,” according to its Facebook event page. Festival founder Reggie Cannon said this year, there will be 20 food vendors and 25 business vendors and exhibitors.
The festival will also feature performances from line dancers, children’s dance groups, fraternities and sororities, singers and poets. There’s a kid’s zone with bounce houses and rock climbing.
“We really want to plant a seed of what Juneteenth is and what it represents. It tells our story of who we are as a people. It showcases strength, faith, God, love, survival,” Cannon said. “All of that is wrapped up in Juneteenth and lets our young people know where we come from.”
More than 200 people attended last year. Admission is free.
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