COLUMBUS, Ind. – Juneteenth (June 19) is a federal holiday that commemorates the day in 1865 when Union troops arrived in Galveston to announce that the 250,000 enslaved Black people in Texas were free, more than two years after President Abraham Lincoln had signed the Emancipation Proclamation.
The Columbus branch of the NAACP will celebrate the holiday on June 22 and they welcome the community to the 2024 Juneteenth Jubilee. This year’s theme is “Healing Our Soul” and events start that day at 11:30 a.m.
The story will be told of the resilience of the Black community and how food, music, and art have connected to help heal suffering over centuries of enslavement.
There will be talks by culinary historian and cookbook author Michael Twitty, panels to discuss mental health and why history matters, and two bus tours of Black history locations in Columbus to be led by The Republic’s Woman of the Year, Paulette Roberts.
The Bartholomew County Library Plaza on 5th Street will host a health corner and KidsZone. There will be food vendors, music, bounce houses, crafts, free books, free Icees, and a 365 camera to enjoy. Traditional red food will be offered at the NAACP booth.
The closing ceremony will include a Major General Granger reenactment, singing, and a community dance.
