A holiday celebrated on a state and national level will have its inaugural community event in Washington this month.

MUSIC, Inc. (Musicians United to Serve and Inspire Community), a 501(c)3 non-profit organization based in Washington along with Washington for Justice and Latinos for Washington, Inc. are hosting a Juneteenth Freedom Day Celebration in Washington’s Central Park on Saturday, June 19th from 3-8 p.m. Juneteenth is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States, as it dates back to June 19th, 1865 when the Union Army proclaimed freedom from slavery in Galveston, Texas. Though the Emancipation Proclamation had been signed nearly three years earlier, enforcement of the proclamation had been slow and inconsistent in the rebellion states where there was low presence of Union troops.

MUSIC, Inc. President Dan Henderson says this free, local celebration will include children’s activity booths, food vendor trucks, and a proclamation from Mayor Jaron Rosien, “And then we have a special guest speaker who actually was the cofounder of the African American Museum of Iowa, his name is Tom Moore. He’s a retired gentleman now, but he’s agreed to come down to Washington and give us a few words as a Black man what Juneteenth really means and why it’s important for everyone, white, Black, whoever, to celebrate this day.”

Henderson is especially excited to offer live music with a concert from award-winning blues musician Kevin Burt of Coralville from 6-7:30 p.m. at the bandshell. The public is invited to attend this event to promote healing and unity at a time of racial turmoil, as Henderson says this is to celebrate everyone’s liberation from the slaveholding system.