The event will feature the traditional activities including the award recognition ceremony and Juneteenth barbecue dinner. New this year, there will be an uplifting line-up of musical and theatrical entertainment and a screening of the movie Mudbound. This free, family-friendly event is a day of celebration and remembrance with activities scheduled both on the lawn and inside of the arts center.
The program commemorates the 154th anniversary of the events of June 19, 1865. On that day, Union General Gordon Granger and 2,000 federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas to take possession of the state and enforce the emancipation of its enslaved persons. Today, this is known as Juneteenth and is celebrated widely across the United States.
This year’s theme “Sing of the Harmony of Liberty” recollects the African American struggles, with a voice of praise and hope of freedom for all.
For more information, or to register for the event go to the Office of Human Rights website, or call James Stowe at the Office of Human Rights at 240-777-8490.
Read the press release here.