Florida
How to honor and celebrate Juneteenth in South Florida
The Juneteenth holiday has been celebrated amongst Black communities for over one-and-a-half centuries.
The holiday commemorates June 19, 1865, the day that the end of slavery was announced in Galveston, Texas, despite President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation in 1863.
The day is recognized as the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States.
However, the U.S. government only more recently recognized Juneteenth as a federal holiday in 2021 when President Joe Biden signed a bill passed by Congress.
This year, South Florida communities and the rest of the country will celebrate the holiday on Thursday, June 19th.
And as the holiday nears, there is much to know about the significance of the day and ways in which you can celebrate it across South Florida.
What will be closed on the Holiday and what services have different scheduling?
- The U.S. Postal Service will be closed on June 19, and there will be no mail deliveries.
- UPS and FedEx pickup and delivery services will be available, and their store locations will be open on June 19, according to the companies’ websites.
- The Federal Reserve System and the New York Stock Exchange will be closed on Thursday, June 19.
- All federal agencies will be closed on Thursday, including the DMV and Social Security Administration.
- Most federal, state and city employees get the day off. Many private employers give workers the day off to observe the holiday.
- Most private businesses, including national retailers, will be open on Juneteenth.
Where can I find celebrations in South Florida?
Looking for ways to celebrate in South Florida? Well, we’ve got you covered. The following are some notable celebrations that you can look forward to:
The Miami Juneteenth Festival: On June 18th at the Griffing Center, experience performances by national and local artists, vendors showcasing Black-owned businesses, as well as interactive exhibits and activities to honor Juneteenth. The event will run from noon to 11 p.m., and for more information on this year’s festival, visit their website.
Juneteenth at Miami Children’s Museum: On June 19th at the Miami Children’s Museum, families can experience a day at the museum, celebrating Juneteenth with hands-on art activities that look into and educate on the themes of freedom, heritage and community. Visitors can also create and design “freedom crowns,” and be a part of a collaborative quilt project inspired by African American quilting traditions. The experience is included with regular museum admission. For more information on this celebration, visit their website and learn more.
The Juneteenth Experience at the Colony Theatre: From June 18th through the 19th, each night at 7:30 p.m., the Colony Theatre will be putting on a concert-theater experience that features “a blend of soulful melodies, gospel rhythms, and classical arrangements with spoken word and dance to creating a space where liberation and freedom are not just commemorated but deeply felt,” according to the show’s website. Additionally, the event will begin with selected short films exploring themes of Black liberation, followed by a performance. For more information on this event and to purchase tickets, visit their website.
Free Family Fun Day: Celebrating Juneteenth: On June 14th from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., HistoryMiami Museum is hosting their monthly Saturday programming series, where this upcoming weekend will feature a discussion of Black history through interactive experiences, guided tours and creative expression to honor Juneteenth. The event is free to all for admission. For more information and the link to claim a ticket, visit the website.
Touch Money the Label: Juneteenth Celebration: On June 19th at 8:00 p.m., a night of music and cultural expression will take place at Electric 23 in Wynwood. The event will feature live performances and DJ sets rooted in Afrobeat, Soca, hip-hop and Caribbean sounds. For more information and the link to claim a ticket, visit the website.
Uhuru: A Juneteenth Celebration of Freedom and Liberation: On June 19th from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., Barry University will honor Juneteenth with an interactive evening of cultural expression, historical reflection and community connection. Additionally, a keynote will be presented by historian Dr. Tameka Hobbs. The celebration is presented by South Florida People of Color in collaboration with Barry University. The event is free and for more information visit the website to learn more.
City of Miami Beach OnStage! Presents: Juneteenth – A Day of Freedom: On June 19th, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. a procession, live drumline and contemporary dance performance will kick off an evening commemorating the significance of the Juneteenth holiday. The event is presented by the City of Miami Beach and the Lincoln Road Business Improvement District starting at Euclid Oval and ending at 1100 Lincoln Road. Following the outdoor performances, people can go to the Colony Theatre at 7:30 p.m. for the fifth annual Juneteenth Experience, a multidisciplinary concert theater performance centered on the theme of non-erasure and the contributions of Black South Florida communities. The events are free and open to all, so for more information, visit the website.
HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. (CBS12) — A Florida gunman allegedly hunted down a family on the road, firing into their SUV with a child inside in a miles-long road rage fueled pursuit.
Deputies with the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office say they responded to a 911 call at 3:14 p.m. Wednesday near Highway 92 and Wiggins Road, where a man, later identified as 33-year-old Nicolas Totherow, was reportedly following a family in an SUV and firing at them.
According to an HCSO news release, the caller told dispatch that one of the four people in the vehicle was a child and stayed on the line as the situation unfolded. Investigators say Totherow continued following the family northbound on Park Road before both vehicles entered Interstate 4. He allegedly kept firing as the pursuit moved eastbound on I-4, ending when the victims exited at County Line Road.
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The victims were located shortly after and confirmed that their vehicle had been struck multiple times by gunfire, shattering the windshield, rear window, and even reporting that one bullet had gone through the seat where they child was located.
At 6 p.m., deputies say they located Totherow through investigative efforts, recovered his firearm, and took him in custody. During an interview, he allegedly admitted to firing multiple rounds at the victims’ vehicle and stated he intended to kill the driver.
Totherow was subsequently booked into Hillsborough County Jail for counts of:
- Attempted Murder in the First Degree Premeditated Firearm – Discharge
- Aggravated Battery Great Bodily Harm Firearm – Discharge (x4)
- Discharge Firearm from a Vehicle
- Shooting at Within or Into a Vehicle
- Armed Possession of Controlled Substance
- Driving While License Canceled, Suspended, or Revoked
“This reckless and violent behavior put multiple innocent lives at risk on our roadways,” said Sheriff Chad Chronister. “Thanks to the quick actions of our Communications Center and the coordinated response of our deputies and detectives, this suspect was taken into custody before anyone was killed. We will not tolerate violence in our community.”
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The investigation is ongoing, anyone with information is urged to contact HCSO at 813-247-8200.
Army Corps and St. Lucie County spent $15 million on placing new sand on Fort Pierce Jetty Park beach.
The Army Corps of Engineers and St. Lucie County are working on a new solution to fix Florida’s most-eroded beach.
Here are 5 things to know about the T-groin project:
- They plan to place a half-dozen T-groins at the Fort Pierce Jetty Park beach by 2030.
- T-groins are designed to reduce wave energy and trap sand, but the county did not cite any data or studies that prove they will work.
- The groins, which are typically like rock jetties, will run perpendicular from the dune line with the T part in the ocean.
- The Army Corps said the two biological opinions it received “resolved” the state’s environmental concerns about sea turtle nesting and other impacts, so the project is moving forward.
- The Army Corps and county plan to split the $900,000 cost.
Fixing Florida’s most-eroded beach in Fort Pierce
Fort Pierce Jetty Park costs taxpayers about $15 million every two years for beach restoration projects to replace lost sand, the Army Corps said during an April 28 ribbon-cutting ceremony for its latest effort. St. Lucie County officials hope the T-groins will reduce the need to add new sand to every four years instead of every two year.
Sand has been placed at the Jetty Park beach 14 times since 1971, said Joshua Revord, St. Lucie County Department of Port, Inlet & Beaches director.
The current project, expected to be complete by mid-May, is placing 400,000 cubic yards of sand on a one-mile stretch from the jetty south, according to Col. Brandon Bowman.
Tim O’Hara is TCPalm’s environment reporter. Contact him at tim.ohara@tcpalm.com.
Tallahassee State College’s District Board of Trustees is keeping three of its current members after Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ recent reappointments.
TSC board chair and longtime member Eugene Lamb as well as trustees Karen Moore and Sara Bayliss will remain on the college’s board after being reappointed by the governor May 1.
At the same time, Moore was reappointed to the board by DeSantis less than five months ago in December 2025 during the same time of Bayliss’ initial appointment. Trustees are usually appointed to four-year terms at a time before being considered for reappointment. The timing of the reappointments is unclear, a TSC spokesperson said.
Moore’s reappointment comes after she has served as a trustee at TSC since 2007 when she was first appointed by former Gov. Charlie Crist followed by reappointments by former Gov. Rick Scott and DeSantis.
The CEO and founder of The Moore Agency currently serves as chair of the Florida College System Foundation Board of Directors and is a member of the Florida Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors. She is also founder and chair at Tallahassee Collegiate Academy (TCA), which is the college’s STEM-based charter school on its campus.
Bayliss is a college admissions advisor at St. John Paul II Catholic High School in Tallahassee and a counselor at Game Plan College Admissions Counseling. The Florida State University alumna earned her bachelor’s degree in management information systems and French from the University of Iowa and her master’s degree in business administration from FSU.
Regarding Lamb’s reappointment, it comes as he is currently serving in his fifth non-consecutive term as chair of the board. Lamb, a Midway native and army veteran who had a 33-year career of working with youth as a teacher and coach, first joined the college’s board in 2007 after being appointed by Crist. Since then, he has been reappointed to five consecutive terms by Scott and DeSantis.
In addition, Lamb – who’s well known and celebrated by the TSC community for laying bricks for the first buildings on the college campus as a young man – was named Trustee of the Year in 2024 by the American Association of Community Colleges, which honored his leadership and service.
All reappointments are subject to confirmation by the Florida Senate.
Tarah Jean is the higher education reporter for the Tallahassee Democrat, a member of the USA TODAY Network – Florida. She can be reached at tjean@tallahassee.com. Follow her on X: @tarahjean_.
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