Juneteenth 2021
What’s Happening!
This weekend is Juneteenth Independence Day, and we want to take a moment to acknowledge some of the things going on in our area. All these events (except the June 26th tour) are virtual.
Mosaic Templars Four Day Extravaganza
Firstly, Mosaic Templars Cultural Center will be hosting a four-day virtual event starting at 1 PM Wednesday June 16th through Saturday June 19th with a series of Facebook LIVE experiences. Wednesday will highlight African American artists, Thursday’s activities will center around health care, Friday will spotlight African American businesses, and Saturday will celebrate black musicians with LIVE performances from local artist like Rodney Block, Akeem Kemp, Bijoux and The Big John Miller Band. For a full detail of events check out their Juneteenth Celebration Facebook event or MTCC’s website.
Step Afrika Premiers Three Films
Step Afrika! returns to the virtual theater to commemorate Juneteenth! Premiering three unique works, Trane, Little Rock Nine and The Movement; Step Afrika!’s virtual celebration honors and embodies the determination, resilience, and reclamation of freedom with newly filmed choreographic masterpieces inspired by the African American experience. Free Registration for the 8 PM/ET streaming show on Saturday June 19 at stepafrika.org.
Contribute to Justice
You can also contribute to the Juneteenth Freedom Day Bail Out Fund. In Arkansas, African Americans account for only 15.7% of the entire population but make up 44.5% of those incarcerated. Help create an opportunity for just process and freedom for thousands of Arkansas African Americans this Freedom Day!
Tour Historic 9th Street
Finally, next Saturday June 26th join us at 9 AM for a historic walking tour of West 9th St. in downtown Little Rock. Led by the knowledgeable staff of Mosaic Templars Cultural Center, you can walk through the history of this once thriving African American business district. The tour will end at the Dreamland Ballroom!
If we missed anything, please let us know! We’ll share on our social media leading up to Saturday.
Happy Juneteenth and Keep Dreaming, Matthew McCoy
Juneteenth on 9th ST and in Arkansas
Many Names – One Celebration
Juneteenth Independence Day has gone by many names over the 156 years since it was established in Galveston, TX, in 1865. Traditionally celebrated around June 19, this holiday has been known as Freedom Day, Jubilee Day, Liberation Day, and Emancipation Day. It is by these other names we can trace mention of freedom festivities over the years in Arkansas. Even still, documented celebrations around Juneteenth in the natural state are few and far between.
From the Rubble…
Ironically, not until the devastating effects of Urban Renewal were entirely played out, did Emancipation celebrations start up in Arkansas and around 9th Street in Little Rock. Like many places in the southern U.S. and across the county, the consequences of programs like Urban Renewal were coming to light and the ears of the privileged finally opened to the voice of the displaced.
A Time and Place
Along with the national trend, Arkansas made Juneteenth an official memorial holiday in 2005, designating the third Saturday of June as the official date. Since then, awareness for Juneteenth has soared. Though the COVID 19 pandemic interrupted many public events, Arkansas’s list of Freedom Day events is growing.
Walking tours of 9th Street are scheduled on June 26th (the weekend after Juneteenth). Make sure to check back in next week as we explore your other celebratory options for this Juneteenth.
Keep Dreaming, Matthew McCoy
Juneteenth
The Proclamation
The third Saturday in June shall be known as "Juneteenth Independence Day" to commemorate the end of over two hundred (200) years of slavery in the United States of America and to demonstrate racial reconciliation and healing from the legacy of slavery.
The History
Juneteenth Independence Day is a memorial holiday originating in Texas in 1865. It is most often celebrated on June 19, the day that slaves were freed in Texas two months after the end of the Civil War. Freedom celebrations do show up in old Arkansas newspapers as early as 1870, but no documented celebration of Juneteenth exists in our state before the 1990s.
The Official Holiday
In 2005, Juneteenth was made an official holiday in Arkansas to be recognized annually on the third Saturday of June. The holiday may have very little history in the natural state but freedom festivities are growing year by year. Last year and this year, the pandemic prevented some of the usual events like the annual block party at Mosaic Templars Cultural Center that surround this celebration. We hope in June of 2022 to celebrate in the streets once again!
Juneteenth 2021
Like many of our other southern summer commemorations, Juneteenth is historically coupled with outdoor festivities, BBQ, seasonal fruits, like strawberries and watermelon, and music! On June 19, we hope you have a safe and fun celebration and would love to see you on 9th Street the following Saturday, June 26th, for a historic walking tour of West 9th St. hosted by Mosaic Templar’s knowledgeable staff and ending with a tour of the historic Dreamland Ballroom.
Keep Dreaming, Matthew McCoy