Juneteenth is a day to celebrate the end of slavery and the progress that has been made in the fight for equality.
The Martin Luther King, Jr. Association of Asheville and Buncombe County, in partnership with the City of Asheville, has planned the 2025 Juneteenth Celebration with the intended outcomes of a diverse celebration that fosters broad participation, promotes community awareness and appreciation, and celebrates the liberation of enslaved people.
Dating back to 1865, two and a half years after President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation, it was on June 19th that the Union soldiers, led by Major General Gordon Granger, landed at Galveston, Texas, with news that the Civil War had ended and that the enslaved were now free. This started the oldest known celebration commemorating the ending of slavery in the United States.
The City of Asheville designated Juneteenth as a city holiday in 2021, and on June 11, 2024 Mayor Esther Manheimer issued a proclamation acknowledging Juneteenth as a day of celebration for Black Americans.
The Juneteenth Discussion Sessions will feature either a film or dinner followed by local leaders speaking on topics such removing Confederate monuments and genealogy. Come celebrate Juneteenth at Downtown After 5 and at the Juneteenth Gala.
Monday, June 16 – A Time to Yell
Film and discussion on removing Confederate monuments. Held at Stephens Lee Community Center (30 George Washington Carver Ave. in Asheville)Â from 5:30-8 p.m.
Tuesday, June 17 – Life of Julius Rosenwald
Film and discussion of the Rosenwald Schools. Remembrance program of the June 21, 1964 killing of Civil Rights workers, Chaney, Goodman, and Schwerner. Held at Stephens Lee Community Center from 5:30-8 p.m.
Wednesday, June 18 – Dinner & Discussion
Dinner and discussion by Sasha Mitchell on tips on Genealogical research (tracing your family tree). Held at Stephens Lee Community Center from 5:30-8 p.m.
Thursday, June 19 – Juneteenth Celebration…
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