Faces of Freedom
June 14, 2025 at 10:00 am - 2:00 pm
Faces of Freedom: A 160th Juneteenth Celebration
Since 1619, people of African ancestry have been woven into the American tapestry. Our Faces of Freedom event celebrates Africans and African Americans from the 1600s to today. Atumpan will perform traditional dance with drums to honor the first Africans. Historical interpreters will be on-site and on stage to introduce themselves and how they found freedom in a society where that was not always legal or the norm. We will finish out our celebration with modern African American performances to showcase the joys and talents of the African American community today. Information: [email protected]
History of Juneteenth
Juneteenth celebrates enforcement of the Emancipation Proclamation reaching the westernmost Confederate state of Texas. The Proclamation went into effect in 1863, but this news was purposefully withheld from enslaved people until the arrival of Union troops in Galveston Bay, Texas on June 19, 1865. Juneteenth marks our country’s second independence day.
First flown in 2000, the Juneteenth flag was designed by Ben Haith, founder of the National Juneteenth Celebration.
