TUCSON JUNETEENTH FESTIVAL

Kino Sports Complex-Presented by the Tucson Juneteenth Festival Committee

PCDP is pleased to have a community table at this important event for info and registration of voters. Contact PCDP to volunteer!

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Tucson Juneteenth Festival is having its largest EVER Juneteenth Celebration in 53 years featuring: Free Food for kids under 12 years old, KIDZONE featuring jumping castles, an obstacle course, and Gaming Trailer. Each child will receive free toy compliments of Amazon Black Employee Network! Food Vendors, featuring BBQ ribs, Chicken, and all soul food. Over 20 Food trucks, including fried Fish, Jamaican, Vegan, Vegetarian, Philipino, Kettle Corn, Fry Bread, Chicken and Waffles, Snow cones, Fruit Drinks, Pies, Cakes, donuts, and any food items you can think of. Retail vendors, selling Jewelry, Painting, Health aids, Clothing, Pottery, plants, Resin based Art. Informational vendors to include a health care area for A1C testing, Covid Testing, HBP tests, etc. Live Entertainment; Step Show, bands, Poetry, R and B, Soul, Rap, mariachi. Our 2nd annual Car Show, featuring over 50 classic and low-rider cars, is the first ever Fireworks special.!!!!!!

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It was the eve of January 1, 1863, better known as “Freedom’s Eve,” the first Watch Night services took place.

On that night, enslaved and free African Americans gathered in churches and private homes all across the country awaiting news that the Emancipation Proclamation had taken effect.

At the stroke of midnight, prayers were answered as all enslaved people in the Confederate States were declared legally free.

Union soldiers, many of whom were black, marched onto plantations and across cities in the south reading small copies of the Emancipation Proclamation and spreading the news of freedom in the Confederate States. Only through the Thirteenth Amendment did emancipation end slavery throughout the United States. But not everyone in Confederate territory would immediately be free. Even though the Emancipation Proclamation was made effective in 1863, it could not be implemented in places still under Confederate control.

AS A RESULT, IN THE WESTERNMOST CONFEDERATE STATE OF TEXAS, ENSLAVED PEOPLE WOULD NOT BE FREE UNTIL MUCH LATER. FREEDOM FINALLY CAME ON JUNE 19, 1865, WHEN SOME 2,000 UNION TROOPS ARRIVED IN GALVESTON BAY, TEXAS.

THE ARMY ANNOUNCED THAT THE MORE THAN 250,000 ENSLAVED BLACK PEOPLE IN THE STATE, WERE FREE BY EXECUTIVE DECREE.

LEARN THE HISTORY OF JUNETEENTH

THIS DAY CAME TO BE KNOWN AS “JUNETEENTH,” BY THE NEWLY FREED PEOPLE IN TEXAS.