Juneteenth is so much more than America's newest (2021) federally observed holiday. Also referred to as Freedom Day or Emancipation Day, Juneteenth is a holiday celebrated annually on June 19th to commemorate the emancipation of enslaved people in the US. The holiday was first celebrated in Texas, where on that date in 1865, in the aftermath of the Civil War, enslaved people were declared free under the terms of the 1862 Emancipation Proclamation.
Now that we've gotten you up to speed, we encourage you to take the day to educate yourself, support local Black-owned businesses, volunteer or participate in community celebrations. Use our list to help you!
- Juneteenth Concert and Celebration (Live in the DTL): June 12th at Lawrenceville Lawn
- Juneteenth Celebration: June 20th at Gwinnett County Fairgrounds
- Juneteenth Celebration: June 19th at Norcross Cultural Arts and Community Center
- GAPS Society Juneteenth Celebration: June 19th at the J.B. Williams Park
- Juneteenth Sugar Hill 2026: June 20th at the Bowl at Sugar Hill
- Juneteenth Peachtree Corners Celebration: June 19th at Spalding Woods Village Shopping Center
- The African American Experience and Civic Power: June 18th Peachtree Corner Branch (Gwinnett County Public Library)
- Juneteenth Family Storytelling Time: June 18th Dacula Branch (Gwinnett County Public Library)
- The Story Behind Juneteenth: June 18th Lilburn Branch (Gwinnett County Public Library)
Other nearby things to do in celebration of Juneteenth:
- Visit the National Center for Civil and Human Rights in Atlanta. The center features thought provoking exhibits and memorable experiences that you don't want to miss.
- Visit The King Center in Atlanta to learn more about the life and times of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
- Atlanta's Apex Museum offers the African American Panoramic Experience all year long.
- Hammonds House Museum in Atlanta has a mission "to preserve, exhibit, interpret and increase public awareness about the contributions that visual artists of African descent have made to world culture".
- The Madame CJ Walker Museum and WERDStudio celebrates both, Madame C.J. Walker, the first female self-made millionaire and WERDStudio the first Black-owned radio station in the country.
