INDIANAPOLIS — This weekend much of the city will come together to celebrate Juneteenth, the effective end of slavery in the United States.
This federal holiday marks the day federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas in 1865 to ensure all enslaved people would be freed – two and a half years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation.
Hoosier James Webb and his wife, Twjonia, co-founded Indy Juneteenth to bring communities together while improving Black Americans’ quality of life and narratives about the Black community in Indiana.
This year’s annual Juneteenth celebration and parade is scheduled for Saturday, June 17 at Indianapolis’ Military Park. The parade begins at 10 a.m. and the celebration begins at noon. The event is free and open to the public.
"The Indianapolis Juneteenth Festival began in 2015 or 2016 as us wanting to educate to public about what Juneteenth is," James Webb said. "We thought Indianapolis should have similar celebrations to other cities around the country."
This year, the festival will feature more that 200 black owned businesses coming together as well as music from the likes of Lorea Turner, Terrance Anderson and more.
"Juneteenth is an American holiday," Webb said. "It is a day for all Americans to celebrate. We you have something like a festival, it makes it better and more open for everyone to come out and learn more."
Webb says there will be educational materials available to everyone is attendance.
A fireworks display show on Juneteenth (June 19) will conclude this year’s festival.
For more information on the festival and the planned events, you can visit their website here.
