Juneteenth is our country’s second independence day, as the National Museum of African American History and Culture refers to it. Short for “June Nineteenth,” it is also known as “Freedom Day” and “Emancipation Day.”
What is Juneteenth?
On Jan. 1, 1863, Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation, which declared that all Confederate slaves were now free. In the lead-up to the end of the Civil War in April 1865, Union soldiers traveled throughout Confederate states to read the proclamation to slaves.
On June 19, 1865, federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas, to ensure that all slaves were freed. Slaves in Texas were the last to hear about their freedom. The following year, June 19 became a day of remembrance and “Jubilee Day” for the more than 250,000 newly freed slaves. Juneteenth has since been widely celebrated in the African American community.
Road to Federal Recognition
The summer of 2020’s nationwide protests against police brutality and for racial justice brought an increased awareness of Juneteenth and its significance. On June 17, 2021, President Joe Biden officially signed Juneteenth into law as the 11th federally recognized U.S. holiday.
Where To Celebrate Juneteenth
Today
- ’Surveying the Meaning and Impact of Juneteenth’ (lecture, Q&A) | 1 - 2:30 p.m. | Free | OHSU’s Knight Cancer Center Research Building Auditorium (or online)
Saturday
- Juneteenth Freedom Celebration | 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. | Free | Esther Short Park (Vancouver)
- The Clara People’s Freedom Trail Parade | 11 a.m. | Free | Starting from King School (down MLK to Lillis-Albina Park)
- Juneteenth Festival | Noon - 7 p.m. | Free | Lillis-Albina Park
- Juneteenth "Freedom Day" Celebration | 2 - 5 p.m. | Free | Oregon City Library Park & Pioneer Community Center
Sunday
- 2024 Juneteenth | 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. | Free | Millennium Plaza Park (Lake Oswego)
- Juneteenth — Power to The People: Black Panther Party Legacy Tour of Albina | 11 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. | $23.18 | Matt Dishman Community Center
Tuesday
- The Miracles Club Juneteenth Celebration at Dawson Park | 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. | Free | Dawson Park
Wednesday, June 19
- Leach Botanical Garden Free Admission | 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. | Free | East Portland
- Miracles Club: Celebrate Juneteenth Freedom Day | 12 - 6 p.m. | Miracles Club (King neighborhood)
- Juneteenth: Reclaiming Black Joy | 1 - 6 p.m. | Free | Vance Park (East Portland)
- Juneteenth In My Shoes: King Neighborhood Walking Tour | 12:15 pm | Free (but RSVP) | Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. School
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City Cast Portland staffFeb 4, 2026