Northwest Arkansas Juneteenth Celebration to be Held on Campus

Art by University Relations

Juneteenth

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The University of Arkansas' African American Resource Group and the Juneteenth Celebration Committee invite the Northwest Arkansas community to celebrate the 19th Northwest Arkansas Juneteenth celebration. It will be from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday, June 17, at The Gardens on Razorback Road on the University of Arkansas campus.

This event is free and open to the public.

Activities will include live musical entertainment by R&B artist Sara Nicole and jazz musician Michael Fields, along with a cookout, ice cream, family games and large inflatables.

“Run, Jump, Throw” will be sponsored by Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority Inc., Lambda Phi Sigma Alumnae Chapter.

A football toss, basketball shoot-out and other athletic activities will be hosted by the University of Arkansas Police Department.

Local vendors will be on-site to display their products and services so the community can learn more about what services and opportunities are available.

The NWA Community Clinic will also sponsor a health fair where medical and dental providers will conduct screenings to promote healthy living and address general medical questions.

Juneteenth, or the "19th of June," is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States. It recognizes June 19, 1865, in Galveston, Texas, when Union Gen. 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 Granger, the former slaves celebrated jubilantly, establishing America's second Independence Day celebration and the oldest African-American holiday observance. 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 today celebrates African American freedom and achievement, while encouraging continuous self-development and respect for all cultures.

The Northwest Arkansas Juneteenth celebration is sponsored by: Wal-Mart, Tyson Foods, PepsiCo, Frito Lay, Proctor & Gamble, The Historic St. James Baptist Church, Penguin Ed’s, Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Incorporated and the NWA Community Clinic.

Additional U of A sponsors include: Division of Student Affairs, Division of Diversity Affairs, Sam. M. Walton College of Business, J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences, University Libraries, Office of Equal Opportunity and Compliance, UAPD, Black Alumni Society, Arkansas Alumni Association.

For more information about the Northwest Arkansas Juneteenth Celebration, please visit the Juneteenth website or contact Danielle L. Wood-Williams or J’onnelle Colbert-Diaz at aarg@uark.edu.

About the University of Arkansas: The University of Arkansas provides an internationally competitive education for undergraduate and graduate students in more than 200 academic programs. The university contributes new knowledge, economic development, basic and applied research, and creative activity while also providing service to academic and professional disciplines. The Carnegie Foundation classifies the University of Arkansas among only 2 percent of universities in America that have the highest level of research activity. U.S. News & World Report ranks the University of Arkansas among its top American public research universities. Founded in 1871, the University of Arkansas comprises 10 colleges and schools and maintains a low student-to-faculty ratio that promotes personal attention and close mentoring.