On Friday, June 14, 2024, from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m., the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff (UAPB) will host its first Juneteenth in the Bluff: Arts & Culture Festival in the downtown Delta Rhythm and Bayous Cultural District on 3rd & Main Street. The festival will feature local artists like Blues Hall of Famer Latimore, Fuzzy Jeffries and the Kings of Memphis, and Ms. Zeno The Mojo Queen, 3captivating art exhibits by the UAPB Art Department, a variety of vendor booths and food trucks, and much much more.
On June 19, 1865, two years after President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation emancipating enslaved African Americans, 2,000 Union soldiers under the command of General Gordon Granger finally arrived in Galveston Bay, Texas, with the good news. General Granger informed more than 250,000 enslaved African Americans of their freedom, stating "The people of Texas are informed that in accordance with a Proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free. This involves an absolute equality of rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves, and the connection heretofore existing between them becomes that between employer and hired laborer." These enslaved African Americans quickly embraced their freedom and celebrated June Nineteenth as Freedom Day.
The following year, freedmen in Texas organized the first annual celebration of “Jubilee Day” on June 19. In the years that followed, the June Nineteenth freedom celebrations featuring music, barbecues, and prayer services grew as African Americans from Texas spread across the United States. Eventually, the June Nineteenth freedom became widely known as Juneteenth as the tradition spread.
In 1979, Texas became the first state to make Juneteenth an official holiday. Several states followed suit over the years. In June 2021, Congress passed a resolution establishing Juneteenth as a federal holiday after President Biden signed it into law on June 17, 2021.
According to Erin Stewart Mauldin, a professor of Southern History at the University of South Florida St. Petersburg and an expert on the Civil War and Reconstruction, “The celebration of Juneteenth today is important because it helps initiate difficult conversations and raises awareness about the country’s complicated and tragic history of slavery and racial injustice.”
Since its inception, Juneteenth has become the most well-known celebration commemorating the end of slavery in America. It is also viewed by some as America’s second Independence Day.
On Friday, June 14, 2024, from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m., the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff (UAPB) will host its first Juneteenth in the Bluff: Arts & Culture Festival in the downtown Delta Rhythm and Bayous Cultural District on 3rd & Main Street. Sponsored by the Pine Bluff Advertising and Promotion Commission, the festival is free to all members of Pine Bluff’s diverse community.
This evening-long festival will feature the soulful tunes of Blues Hall of Famer Latimore, the electrifying performances of the hard-hitting, rhythm-making Fuzzy Jeffries, and the Kings of Memphis, and the powerful voice of Ms Zeno, The Mojo Queen, alongside other local musicians. This celebration of freedom festival will also feature a vibrant farmers market and farm-to-table food tastings by the ACF Arkansas Delta Chefs Association. There will be engaging art activities for the youth, captivating art exhibits by the UAPB Art Department, and a variety of vendor booths and food trucks.
According to UAPB’s Vice Chancellor of Institutional Advancement George Cotton, “The Juneteenth in the Bluff festival celebrates freedom and triumph and embraces the region’s rich arts and culture legacy. We are thrilled about bringing this event to our community and look forward to showcasing the amazing talent on display.”
So, don’t miss out on the chance to win exciting giveaways or indulge in the delightful local food and beverages for sale at the first-ever Juneteenth in the Bluff: Arts & Culture Festival.
For more information about Juneteenth in the Bluff: Arts & Culture Festival or to participate as a vendor, contact Jaimie D. Wright at 870.955.4830 or wrightjd@uapb.edu.
To access the Juneteenth in the Bluff: Arts & Culture Festival website and itinerary, visit www.juneteenthinthebluff.com.
Sources:
uapbnews.wordpress.com - Experience the Spirit of Juneteenth at the UAPB Juneteenth in the Bluff: Arts & Culture Festival
nmaahc.si.edu - Juneteenth Senses of Freedom: Exploring the Tastes, Sounds and Experiences of an African American Celebration
www.stpetersburg.usf.edu - Juneteenth: The complicated history, significance and celebration around the struggle for freedom
Written by: Ninfa O. Barnard