3rd Annual Ypsilanti Juneteenth Celebration

Juneteenth is an American holiday that commemorates the abolition of slavery in the state of Texas and other parts of the south on June 19,1865. It was signed into law by the Biden Administration as the Juneteenth National Day of Independence, it became a federal holiday in 2021.

Locally, we have been celebrating Juneteenth for many years and generations before it became a federal holiday. This year marks the 29th anniversary of the A2-NAACP’s Juneteenth observation in Ann Arbor dating back to 1994. It is also the third year for the University of Michigan Juneteenth Symposium and Ypsilanti’s Juneteenth celebration.

This year, I will be homing at the Ypsilanti Juneteenth Celebration where the Elbert Williams Voting Corner will have its first tabling event. I’ll be amongst friends as some of my favorite collaborators like Interfaith Council for Peace and Justice will also be in the house. My daughter will be in the opening bike parade around noon, so do not dawdle or you just might miss it!

The Ypsilanti Juneteenth main celebration will be on Saturday June 17, 2023 from 11-9 p.m. held in the parking lot behind Puffer Red’s in downtown Ypsilanti. There are a line up of scheduled events starting on June 16 and ending on June 18 that will feature activities for the youth, live performance, food, vendors, and informational tables where we will be. So come on out to this fun filled weekend of free event and make sure you stop by the Elbert Williams Voting Corner table on Saturday June 17 to learn more about voting and what we have coming up next!