GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — In 2021, Juneteenth was officially made a federal holiday in the United States. Today, Grand Rapids is marking the occasion with various celebrations.
The holiday commemorates the day Union soldiers marched to Galveston, Texas, to inform thousands of enslaved individuals that they were now free, two years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation.
"They were pretty much the last individuals that were notified that slavery had been abolished. So it's a holiday that just kind of commemorates, which I, in my opinion, I find it to be kind of like the nation's true independence day, of like, when everybody was actually named and deemed free."
Julius Rogers, founder of Justice for All and organizer of the Juneteenth Jam, emphasized the importance of the holiday.
"They were pretty much the last individuals that were notified that slavery had been abolished. So it's a holiday that just kind of commemorates, which I, in my opinion, I find it to be kind of like the nation's true independence day, of like, when everybody was actually named and deemed free," he said.
The Justice for All Juneteenth Jam is scheduled for Thursday from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Calder Plaza.
Rogers noted that Juneteenth celebrations have been held every year since 1865, when the troops arrived in Galveston. He hopes to continue this tradition in Grand Rapids with an event that features music, dancing, video games, art, free water, and food.
"This is a free and family-focused party downtown that I hope will help celebrate freedom, equality, and support some local black-owned businesses," he added.
Rogers also shared his commitment to supporting black-owned vendors at the event.
"I actually don't charge any of the black-owned vendors a fee to be at the event, because that presents a very, that traditionally has been a barrier of entry for a lot of black-owned and BIPOC individuals to actually get into different spaces like this. So to be able to create something like that, and what's the word, cultivate? There we go. In order to cultivate a space like this, for my community," he explained.
Grand Rapids residents are invited to participate in the celebrations and honor this significant day in American history.
Juneteenth Celebrations in West Michigan:
- Battle Creek Juneteenth Events
- Grand Rapids Juneteenth - 4th Annual - Our Ancestors' Wildest Dreams Celebration
- Holland Events
- Muskegon County Events
This story was initially reported by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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