Dr. Carrie Dixon’s answer to why everyone should celebrate Juneteenth is simple. It’s history.
Juneteenth marks the date in June 1865, when Union troops gained control of Galveston, Texas, and announced that the more than 250,000 enslaved people in the state were free. Although President Abraham Lincoln had issued the Emancipation Proclamation two and a half years earlier, on Jan. 1, 1863, it was unenforceable at the time because Texas was still under Confederate control, according to the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture.
Over the course of 160 years, Juneteenth was first celebrated in church-centered community gatherings in Texas, then spread across the South and through the Great Migration. It officially became a federal holiday on June 17, 2021, when former President Joe Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act into law.
“We need to embrace history — all of history,” said Dixon, president of The African American Club of The Villages and a resident of the Village of DeLuna. “A lot of people don’t know the significance of freedom from enslavement. I think Juneteenth points toward that enslavement era, emancipation and being freed legally from physical enslavement.
“We African Americans like to celebrate Juneteenth because it indicates to us, this is the time we are no longer in bondage in the United States,” she said. “It’s jubilee because we are no longer considered chattel and we can now say to the world, ‘We are just as human as anybody else.’”
TAAC is hosting a celebration for its members during the club’s annual Juneteenth “Freedom Day” Potluck, which will feature music, food and dancing from 3 to 6 p.m. Sunday at Rohan Recreation. Although the potluck is open only to TAAC members and their guests, there are several other celebratory and educational Juneteenth events open to the public in the surrounding communities.
The Leesburg Public Library is hosting The History of Emancipation and Juneteenth from 1 to 2 p.m. today at the library, 100 E. Main St., Leesburg.
Part of the library’s America250 series celebrating the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of the Independence, author and historian Christopher Daley will present about what led to the Emancipation Proclamation and how Juneteenth became a national holiday.
For those who aren’t able to attend in person, the program also will be available for remote participation through Zoom. Registration to attend the program, whether in person or virtually, is required and can be done at mylakelibrary.org.
Later today, Groveland is hosting its family-friendly Juneteenth Celebration from 5 to 9 p.m. at Cherry Lake Park, 131 Wilson Lake Park, Groveland.
Along with a live dance performance from Bahamas Junkanoo International, there will be a car show, vendors, live music by Music Revue and guest speakers. The event also will mark the return of the city’s annual barbecue competition.
In Leesburg, Semeion Richardson, owner of Artist with a Purpose art gallery, will host the Juneteenth Block Party from 6 to 9 p.m. today at the gallery, 100 S. 4th St., Leesburg.
The event will feature booths inside and outdoors, and it coincides with the gallery’s monthly Art Makers Market, which includes a fusion of food and merchant vendors, 15-minute Zumba demonstrations and the Faith Flow Friday Christian Dance party with music by DJ Swoop.
While the outside market is free to attend, the dance party is $10 per person, though the first 25 people will get free entry.
Richardson said the goal of the event is to be a cultural celebration of freedom, heritage and unity in downtown Leesburg.
“Juneteenth is something to remember,” she said. “Also, I wanted to include the Christian component because people needed a lot of prayer to get through the things they went through. This is a way to get back to what is important: love and unity. I’m hoping art and music can be how we do that.”
Also in Lake County, the City of Clermont is hosting its 5th annual Juneteenth: A Freedom Celebration from 4 to 8 p.m. Saturday at Waterfront Park, 330 3rd St, Clermont, and the City of Mount Dora will celebrate Juneteenth with music from E-Turn and DJ Samp Da Champ, food, games and more from 3 to 8 p.m. Saturday at Cauley Lott Park, 1717 Highland St., Mount Dora.
Staff writer Brea Jones can be reached at 352-753-1119, ext. 5414, or brea.jones@thevillagesmedia.com.
