Feel Free

Juneteenth is not an actually word, but a portmanteau – the combination of two words to make a new one. June and nineteenth combine in celebration of June 19, 1865, the date Texas abolished slavery. On the heels of the official announcement in Galveston by Union General Gordon Granger two...

By Glenn BurnSilver

June 14, 2012

[
        {
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Inline Content - Mobile Display Size",
          "component": "18478561",
          "insertPoint": "2",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "2"
        },{
          "name": "Editor Picks",
          "component": "16759093",
          "insertPoint": "4",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "1"
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "17980324",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "16759092",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "17980324",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 24
        },{
          "name": "Air - Leaderboard Tower - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "16759094",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 24
        }
      ]

Juneteenth is not an actually word, but a portmanteau – the combination of two words to make a new one. June and nineteenth combine in celebration of June 19, 1865, the date Texas abolished slavery. On the heels of the official announcement in Galveston by Union General Gordon Granger two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation was supposed to go into effect, African-Americans joyously celebrated in the streets. Official celebrations began the following year in Texas and quickly spread to other states.

The 2012 Valley of the Sun Juneteenth Freedom Festival will celebrate the holiday, also known as Freedom Day or Emancipation Day, on Saturday, June 16, with guest speakers, live music and dance exhibitions, sports, arts and crafts booths, storytelling, poetry, and other entertainment. Vendors will be on hand with ethnic food, drink, and event-related information.

Sat., June 16, 5-10 p.m., 2012

Become A Member

BEFORE YOU GO...
Can you help us continue to share our stories? Since the beginning, Phoenix New Times has been defined as the free, independent voice of Phoenix — and we'd like to keep it that way. Our members allow us to continue offering readers access to our incisive coverage of local news, food, and culture with no paywalls.