Juneteenth, also called Freedom Day, has been celebrated since 1866. President Joe Biden declared it a federal holiday on June 17, 2021, but Portage County communities celebrated it before that and continue to do so.
Juneteenth celebrations commemorate June 19, 1865, when enslaved Black Americans in Galveston, Texas got the news that the Civil War had ended and that they were free. Slavery had ended a full two years before, when President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation became official on Jan. 1, 1863.
Here are the Juneteenth plans coming up in Ravenna, Kent and on the KSU campus.
Ravenna
The fifth annual Juneteenth Diversity Festival will be held from 2-8 p.m. June 20 on the courthouse lawn in downtown Ravenna. Attendees will celebrate freedom, culture and community while enjoying music, art, food and cultural activities. The event is presented by The Friends of Juneteenth, a nonprofit socio-civic organization that holds multiple events throughout the year.
Kent State University
KSU’s Juneteenth Jubilee will take place from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. June 18 on Risman Plaza, in front of the KSU student center. Enjoy live performances, music, food, vendors and more. The event is free and open to the public.
Featured performers are the Barefeet Dance Tribe, which combines traditional and modern African dance; and renowned percussionists Berhane and Sowande Oktantah, whose work celebrates African cultural heritage and rhythms.
Kent
The Tree City is holding its fifth annual Juneteenth celebration with a block party from noon-3 p.m. June 20 on Dodge Street. As long as supplies last, food and beverages will be free.
Honorees will be Dodge Street residents Mark and Gloria Maffett, community elders who have been married 66 years. Additional honorees will receive roses to commemorate their longstanding community presence. And, since Juneteenth is so close to Father’s Day, dads will also be honored.
Vendors will be on hand selling all manner of merchandise, and informational booths, including one from the Kent Health Department, will be set up. The health department will also conduct free blood pressure checks. Games, prizes and raffles will round out the event.
Aided by community members, Kent's fire and police department employees will once again face each other in a friendly kickball tournament.
Attendees will also learn about the history of Kent’s historic South End, also known as the city’s mother neighborhood.
The Juneteenth Committee will also present a scholarship donation to Holden Elementary School, intending to fund field trips for youths whose parents are unable to pay. The committee will also present two recent Theodore Roosevelt High School graduates with scholarships to purchase computers or other items to help them in their future studies.
Wendy DiAlesandro
Wendy DiAlesandro is a former Record Publishing Co. reporter and contributing writer for The Portager.