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Last year, on March 22, 2021, Des Moines City Manager Scott Sanders announced Juneteenth as an official city holiday.
“We hope by commemorating this date,” he said at the time, “we can better illustrate the significance of Juneteenth and generate greater recognition throughout our community and the state”.
Later that year, President Joe Biden signed a bill making Juneteenth a federal holiday.
With the holiday being official, city buildings and offices will be closed on June 20 this year, the weekday following the Sunday holiday, so everyone, especially Black people can highlight the freedom that their ancestors finally began moving towards.
Combining June and 19, Juneteenth is an annual celebration of the emancipation of enslaved Black people in the United States. President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation into law on January 1, 1863 with the intent of freeing the slaves. But although that freed all slaves on paper, Black people remained indentured until two years later when Union Army general Gorgon Granger rode into Galveston, Texas to spread the word of freedom, on June 19, 1865. That day was the first celebration of Juneteenth.
This Black Independence Day is celebrated across the country with festivals, dance, music and food. Here are some of the events coming up this week in the greater Des Moines area! Many are organized by Iowa Juneteenth Observance, founded in 1990 by Gary L. Lawson and currently chaired by Dwana Bradley.
Juneteenth Events
Donate books to Cameron Gray’s Black’d Out Books project to uplift the spirits of Black children through literacy. Books can be donated at the Art Center, which gathered 50 books toward the project over the month of February and hopes to match that number with this push.
Drake University alums in Central Iowa are encouraged to donate registry-approved children’s books by BIPOC creators at a mixer at Rico’s by Drake. Donated books will be given to children at Iowa Juneteenth Neighbor’s Day. Books can be delivered via the Amazon registry. Those who make a donation at the event or via CashApp ($IAJuneteenth) or Venmo (@IAJuneteenth90) will receive a voucher for a free drink at the event. Pre-registration requested for the mixer.
Register on Iowajuneteenth.org individually or with your team of four to hit a hole in one on the green.
Join comedians from Des Moines and around the Midwest for laughter surrounded by Black experiences. This 5th annual event features both an early show and a late show.
Urban City Magazine brings you their second annual Black Art Exhibit, an opportunity to gawk at and admire beautifully made paintings, sculptures, visual art and fashion all in one place — and maybe take something home with you.
Working from a mission “to bring together people of color in Iowa to connect, heal & express themselves,” Manifestival is partnering with Neighbor’s Day for the second year, offering a place for those who need to further establish themselves or their business or make new connections with other locals.
Enjoy live music from local musicians, food, vendors and everything else needed to have a good time with your community.
It’s not often enough that we get the chance to hear about other people’s life experiences. Now we can. “Check out” your neighbors to “read” their stories in order to focus on those experiences that make us different and celebrate those differences. Voices sharing include Lenny Bell, Francis Chan, Alex Hanna, Lilt Okech and Nayshea Rice.
Enjoy a day filled with music, comedy, art and a panel discussing “Young, Gifted and Black in Iowa.” The night closes with a dance party with tunes by DJ Jade Knight.
Join in on these festivities, centered around the emancipation of Black people from under the violent control by those who worship the Confederate flag throughout the United States. There will be music, interactive art, food trucks and more in store.
ANNOUNCEMENT: Pride & Soul, a community roller skating event to celebrate the intersections of #PRIDE and #Juneteenth, is set for Saturday, June 18, at the Lauridsen Amphitheatre from 6-8:30 p.m. Graphic design: Jamie Malone (https://t.co/1SrNX6LK4v) pic.twitter.com/wbOeAipGdG
— Iowa Coalition Against Domestic Violence (ICADV) (@ICADV) June 1, 2022
Celebrators of both Pride and Juneteenth come together to show that communities are stronger when they fight for equality, justice and freedom as one. Pride and Juneteenth intersect in a multitude of ways and it’s time to highlight those crossroads. (Bring your own skates/blades.)
Laced Up Family presents an afternoon of food, drinks, music and watery fun.
This theatrical comedy takes you back to 1865 to tell the story of a freed slave looking for her sold sister. During her journey, she bonds with four women, based on historical characters, who embody the themes of Black motherhood, Black revenge and Black resilience. Beaufield Berry’s Buffalo Women: A Black Cowgirl Musical Dramedy is a co-production of Pyramid Theatre Company & the Playhouse.
With support from Art Week, this event highlights Black performing artists from across Iowa.
Black Women 4 Healthy Living presents a time to sip tea and enjoy the spoken word artist Cle Shai Harden and words from Debra Carr as the guest speaker.
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