El Paso celebrates Juneteenth with events all month
EL PASO, TX (KVIA) -- As Juneteenth approaches, the black American community of El Paso is hosting events all month to commemorate this day. The celebrations aim to educate and unite the community, highlighting the importance of this historic day.
Juneteenth, also known as the “second Independence Day,” is observed on June 19th and marks the day in 1865 when the last enslaved African Americans in Texas found out they were freed.
Monica Tucker, founder and publisher of Black El Paso Voice told ABC-7 the best way the community can celebrate is by learning, “It's an important educational moment. It’s not only about our history, it's about how far we've come. That's what we want the community to understand,” she says.
Juneteenth recently became an official federal holiday in 2021, when President Joe Biden signed a bill on June 17, 2021. Tucker says this has helped bring more attention to this significant time in American history, “Those who are continental Africans and those who are black from other countries, they don't celebrate Juneteenth because they'll tell you it's not our culture, it's not about us. It's about black American freedom. Sometimes people assume that it's kind of like Black History Month, and it is black history, but we're Americans, so it's American history also,” she explained.
In El Paso, the celebrations extend beyond June 19th, with events and activities planned throughout the month. The festivities include a mix of educational events, cultural performances, and community gatherings.
The kick off event for this weekend will be on Friday, June 14 at the El Paso Museum of History from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. The celebration will include guest speaker, Tomas Arellano and brother/sister-owned, Imperial Legacy Clothing showcasing their 1921 Collection with a fashion show. This event is free and open to all ages.
The main, big event is on Saturday, June 15 at Nations Tobin Park from 4:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. The outdoor celebration includes, family games, activities, live music, jumping balloons, food, plus informational booths from various City Departments and more. This event is free and open to all ages.
On Wednesday, June 19, Tucker says they will be hosting a State of Black El Paso Address, she invites the entire community to participate, “This is so that we can talk to one another and find out what we can do to better ourselves and to engage more in the community.”
Everyone from all cultures is encouraged to participate and learn more about Juneteenth, “If the black community has a gathering or an event and it's only black people there, then we missed it,” Tucke says.
For more information on events happening this month, click here.
