Juneteenth, the federal holiday commemorating the emancipation of enslaved African Americans in the United States, will be observed on Friday, June 19. The holiday marks June 19, 1865, when Union troops arrived in Texas and announced the freedom of enslaved people, more than two years after President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation. The event ended slavery in the last Confederate state where it remained in practice.
Although Georgetown University’s campus is quieter than usual with many students away for the summer, the university and surrounding areas are hosting events that celebrate Black history, culture, and community throughout the week.
From local gatherings on campus to celebrations on U Street, here’s what’s happening around Georgetown and surrounding neighbourhoods.
On Campus
Students and community members can begin to celebrate with the Diaspora’s Juneteenth Celebration hosted by the Georgetown University Diaspora on June 18 from noon to 3 p.m. on Harbin Patio. This event is one of the university’s central Juneteenth observances, aimed to kick off the holiday with food, drinks, and activities, and registration is required.
The university’s Initiative on Catholic Social Thought and Public Life also hosted a virtual dialogue titled, 250 Years Towards Racial Justice, on June 15.
Off Campus
One of Washington, D.C.’s most vibrant and prominent Juneteenth gatherings, Juneteenth on U Street, will take over the historic U Street corridor on June 18 from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. The free celebration at Harrison Park will feature live go-go music, DJs, food vendors, and engagement with local community members in D.C.’s “Black Broadway.”
On June 19, the Black Georgetown Foundation will host their annual gathering, Juneteenth: Remember. Learn. Serve., a day centered on music, education, and service. The event will run from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at D.C.’s oldest Black cemeteries, the Mount Zion and Female Union Band Society Cemeteries. Registration is required.
Education
Several events this year focus on educating participants on the history of the federal holiday.
The National Museum of African American History and Culture will host a Juneteenth Community Day on June 19 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The free, ticketed event comprises storytelling, performances, workshops, family activities, and programming honoring the “Grandmother of Juneteenth,” Opal Lee, for her decades-long advocacy to make Juneteenth a federal holiday.
For an even deeper history into the holiday, President Lincoln’s Cottage will offer a Juneteenth Family Tour on June 19 at noon. Visitors can explore the site where Abraham Lincoln drafted the Emancipation Proclamation and learn more about the history that shaped the holiday. Additionally, the historic site will host signature guided tours at 10 a.m., 11 a.m., and 3 p.m and offer self-guided landscape tours of Lincoln’s Wild Home available from 9:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m.
Fans of literature can head to Planet Word on June 20 for the Juneteenth Literary Jubilee and Black Author Book Fest from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. The event, which requires registration, will feature author discussions and appearances, including award-winning poet Tony Keith Jr as a guest MC. Attendees can expect an informative day learning about local writers and the power of the arts.
Comedy
For an end-of-the-day wind-down, the DC Comedy Clubhouse is hosting a Juneteenth Live Comedy Show at 9 p.m., with tickets available from June 18-20. The event will feature stand-up performances celebrating joy and community, followed by a DJ and afterparty.
