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 Celebration: June 19th at the Norcross Cultural and Community Center
- Juneteenth Brushes and Beverages: June 14th at Lucky Shoals Park Community Center
- Juneteenth Celebration in Sugar Hill: June 21st at The Bowl at Sugar Hill
- Live in the DTL Juneteenth Concert: June 13th at the Lawrenceville Lawn
- Norcross Connect Juneteenth Celebration: June 11th at the Norcross Branch of Gwinnett County Public Library
- Juneteenth Pound Cake: June 18th at the Centerville Branch of Gwinnett County Public Library
- A Taste of Black Gwinnett, Father's Day and Juneteenth: June 13th at the Norcross Cultural and Community Center
- Celebrate Freedom - Juneteenth 2025: June 7th at Bay Creek Park in Loganville
- Juneteenth Celebration: June 21st at Rhodes Jordan Park in Lawrenceville
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. Although the center is closed for renovations until Fall 2025 they do offer an interactive virtual tour on their website.
- 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.
