NAACP Pasadena Branch Announces Juneteenth Celebration, Set for June 15

The NAACP Pasadena Branch has announced a Juneteenth celebration scheduled for June 15, 2024, from 4:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at the Pasadena City Hall Rotunda. The event aims to unite the community in a day of festivities and recognition of Black culture in Pasadena and beyond.

This family-friendly celebration will offer skate rentals, an arts table by @armoryarts, food vendors, community resource tables, and music. Additional surprises are anticipated for the event.

Juneteenth, observed annually on June 19, commemorates the liberation of enslaved African Americans in the United States. The day marks Major General Gordon Granger’s arrival in Galveston, Texas on June 19, 1865, proclaiming the freedom of all enslaved individuals within the state by executive order.

Despite President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, its full implementation was delayed in Confederate-held areas. Consequently, enslaved individuals in Texas remained in bondage for almost two and a half additional years.

Juneteenth celebrations began shortly after the initial announcement in Texas and have since evolved into a tradition encompassing prayer services, educational events, family gatherings, picnics, and festivals with music and dancing. In 2021, Juneteenth was established as a federal holiday to acknowledge and promote the significance of this historic occasion.

For further details, contact the NAACP Pasadena branch at (626)793-1293 or visit their website at naacppasadena.org.