Northwest Arkansas Prepares to Celebrate Juneteenth on Saturday

The 15^th annual Northwest Arkansas Juneteenth Celebration will be held from 3-7 p.m., Saturday, June 9, at Murphy Park, 600 Ash St. in Springdale. It is free and all members of the Northwest Arkansas community are invited.

This family event will feature an old-fashioned cook-out, games for kids, a silent auction, free swimming at the Springdale Aquatic Center, local vendors, a fashion show, inflatable play areas, popcorn, ice cream and cotton candy, the “Tickled Pink” spades and dominoes tournaments, plus a whole lot more.

Musical entertainment will be hosted by Papa Rap, and featured performers will be TaitanO, the Rated PG Church Choir, and neo-soul songbird Ms. Nita Fruit.

This event has been organized and planned by the University of Arkansas Center for Multicultural and Diversity Education, Springdale Parks and Recreation and the Juneteenth Planning Committee.

This year’s celebration is sponsored by the University of Arkansas, Walmart, Proctor and Gamble, NWA Media, Sprindale Parks and Recreation, Coca-Cola, Arvest, Frito-Lay, Penguin Ed’s, Hiland Dairy and the St. James Missionary Baptist Church.

History

Juneteenth, or the "19th of June," is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States. In 2006, the Arkansas Legislature first recognized Juneteenth as a state memorial day commemorated by the issuance of a proclamation from Gov. Mike Huckabee. Juneteenth recognizes June 19, 1865, in Galveston, Texas, when Union General Gordon Granger announced freedom for all slaves in the Southwest. This was the last major vestige of slavery in the United States following the end of the Civil War. This occurred more than two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation was issued by President Abraham Lincoln. Upon the reading of General Order No. 3 by General Granger, the former slaves celebrated jubilantly, establishing America's second Independence Day Celebration and the oldest African-American holiday observance.

Juneteenth is now recognized as a state holiday or state holiday observance in Arkansas, Texas, Oklahoma, Florida, Delaware, Idaho, Alaska, Iowa, California, Wyoming, Missouri, Connecticut, Illinois, Louisiana, New Jersey, New York, Kentucky and Michigan. In 2003, the District of Columbia passed legislation to recognize Juneteenth as a district holiday observance. Many more states, including Oregon, South Dakota, Mississippi, Michigan, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Montana, Wisconsin, Maryland, Virginia and Colorado have recognized Juneteenth through state legislative resolutions, gubernatorial proclamations and current state holiday observance legislation.

For more information on the Northwest Arkansas Juneteenth Celebration, please visit www.nwajuneteenth.org or contact Danielle Wood at 479-575-4825 or dlw11@uark.edu or Cedric Kenner at 479-799-9380 or ckenner9@yahoo.com.