The National Museum of African American History and Culture marked Juneteenth with a day of storytelling, music, cultural activities and conversations about freedom, while paying tribute to Opal Lee and her role in making Juneteenth a federal holiday. Families from across the country visited the museum to deepen their understanding of Black history, with parents, educators and community leaders emphasizing the importance of passing that history to younger generations.
Category: Juneteenth
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Finding freedom on higher ground: Food justice this Juneteenth
Rev. Dr. Heber Brown III argues that Juneteenth should be both a celebration of freedom and a call to action on food justice. Through the Black Church Food Security Network’s gardening and community programs, including Baltimore’s “Operation Higher Ground,” he encourages collective efforts toward food sovereignty, self-reliance and long-term community nourishment as a path to true liberation.
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As Juneteenth is celebrated across the US, Obama’s presidential center opens in Chicago
As Americans celebrated Juneteenth across the country, the Barack Obama Presidential Center opened to the public in Chicago, linking the holiday’s legacy of freedom and equality with the nation’s first Black president’s vision for civic engagement. The day featured nationwide commemorations of the end of slavery, while historians and community leaders emphasized that Juneteenth remains both a celebration of emancipation and a reminder of the ongoing pursuit of racial justice and democracy.
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This Juneteenth let’s build systems to protect those most impacted by harm
Candace Moore, vice president of place, policy and power at Race Forward, argues that Juneteenth highlights the gap between America’s promises of freedom and the power communities need to make those promises a reality. Drawing on Black and Indigenous traditions of shared leadership and her experience during Chicago’s COVID-19 response, she advocates for co-governance as a way for communities and government to work together to create more equitable and lasting solutions.
Posted inBlack History
Beyond Granger: Honoring the Black soldiers who enforced freedom on Juneteenth
As the nation continues to recognize Juneteenth, historians say the role Black soldiers played in enforcing emancipation in Texas is often overlooked. Those troops helped secure Union victory and freedom for enslaved people while simultaneously enduring racism, unequal treatment and emotional hardship within the Union Army itself.
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Juneteenth, justice and America’s double standard
Juneteenth, a reminder of delayed justice, exposes America’s double standard in responding to injustice. Conversations on reparations and racial justice continue.
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AFRO’s fourth annual Juneteenth Breakfast honors local stalwarts of Black history
AFRO News hosted its annual Juneteenth Breakfast to honor individuals and organizations that have accepted the responsibility of preserving Black history and culture, and to promote the message of safeguarding knowledge, strengthening communities and equipping future generations with the context needed to build a more informed future.
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Upcoming Juneteenth events in the D.C., Maryland and Virginia area
The DMV area is hosting a variety of free Juneteenth events, including block parties, museum events, music and art celebrations, and community service activities, to honor Black culture, creativity, and community connection.
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An unfinished freedom: Juneteenth and the ongoing struggle for equity
Even though liberation was secured in law more than a century ago, social justice leaders say the fight for equity and civil rights remains very much alive today. They say Black Americans continue to confront many of the same structural barriers—now playing out through policy, courts and political decisions—that have shaped the long aftermath of emancipation.
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AFRO News to honor nine Baltimore institutions at annual Juneteenth Breakfast
AFRO News will honor nine Baltimore-area organizations during its 2026 Juneteenth “Stewards of Legacy” Breakfast, recognizing their contributions to preserving Black history and culture.
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Juneteenth, justice and America’s double standard
In a Juneteenth reflection, AFRO CEO and Publisher Dr. Frances “Toni” Draper argues that the holiday serves as a reminder not only of delayed freedom for enslaved Black Americans but also of the nation’s ongoing failure to deliver the equality and justice promised after emancipation. She contends that recent discussions about compensating some participants in the Jan. 6 Capitol attack, while reparations for descendants of enslaved people remain stalled, highlight what many view as a persistent double standard in whose suffering receives political attention and urgency.
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Anacostia Community Museum announces expanded Juneteenth celebration for nation’s 250th
The Anacostia Community Museum will host its largest-ever Juneteenth Freedom Celebration on June 19, featuring live music, cultural workshops, theater performances and a nighttime outdoor roller skating experience as part of the nation’s 250th anniversary observance. Organized in collaboration with the Smithsonian Institution’s Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage, the free event celebrates Black history, resilience and community traditions through a full day of family-friendly programming.
