Juneteenth (a portmanteau of “June” and “nineteenth”) is a holiday commemorating the 1865 emancipation of Black slaves in the United States. Today, the celebration often includes singing, street fairs, cookouts, and Miss Juneteenth contests. (Speaking of which, have you seen Miss Juneteenth yet?)
Activists have long campaigned for the recognition of Juneteenth as a national holiday, and they finally gained traction last year at the peak of the Black Lives Matter protests that followed the murder of George Floyd. Recently, the Oregon Senate unanimously agreed to officially recognize Juneteenth as a state holiday. The bill now heads to the desk of Governor Kate Brown and will go into effect in 2022.
We’ve rounded up ways to observe the holiday this year, from Oregon’s flagship Juneteenth event to a market where you can support Black creatives and makers.
