On June 19, Hannibal Square Heritage Center will host its 6th annual Juneteenth Celebration: “Knowing, Remembering and Shifting the Narrative” at the Winter Park Community Center from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m.
Juneteenth, also commonly referred to as Freedom Day or Emancipation Day, commemorates African American freedom in the United States. On June 19, 1865, word of freedom reached the final group of enslaved people in Galveston, Texas, even though the Emancipation Proclamation, which legally abolished slavery after the Civil War, was made effective in January 1863, two and a half years earlier.
This year’s observance will feature a number of scheduled events such as a history of Hannibal Square with Chief Historian Fairolyn Livingston, “Summer of Soul” jam sessions, a panel on diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice, and more. The center will also host a free Father’s Day breakfast starting at 8:30 a.m. leading up to the event and open the new Hannibal Square Heritage Center exhibition from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
The Winter Park Community Center is located at 721 W. New England Ave. For more information on the upcoming celebration, visit the event page.