Multiculturally Minded Lewis County and Rooted in Lewis County have partnered with the City of Centralia to host a Juneteenth celebration at George Washington Park on Thursday, June 19, from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Attendees can expect inspiring speakers, live music, soul food and community reflection in this free-to-attend event, and organizers encourage bringing lawn chairs and blankets.
Juneteenth commemorates the end of slavery in the United States. On June 19, 1865, two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation, Union soldiers arrived in Texas to ensure freedom for all enslaved people.
“Juneteenth is more than a celebration. It’s a call to remember, to reflect and to move forward together toward a more just and inclusive future,” event organizer Jim McCully said in a news release.
“Our city was founded through the generosity of George Washington, the free son of an enslaved man. Centralia itself is a reminder of what we gain when all people are free,” Centralia Mayor Kelly Smith Johnston added in the news release.
For more information, contact Multiculturally Minded Lewis County via email at multiculturallyminded@gmail.com.
