List: Juneteenth celebrations happening in Detroit

DETROIT – Thursday is Juneteenth—also known as Freedom Day and Emancipation Day. It commemorates the end of slavery in the United States.

It marks June 19, 1865, when Union Army Major General Gordan Granger rode into Galveston, Texas, announcing that enslaved African Americans were free—two years after President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation.

Juneteenth started as an informal celebration by the people of Galveston but eventually reached Texas and other parts of the country.

Juneteenth became a national holiday in 2021, and on Thursday, many communities are celebrating in their own way.

Here’s a list of events happening in Detroit on June 19:

• At Hart Plaza, a block party starts at 12 p.m. The team from Afrofuture Detroit and Detroit vs. Everybody will have music, food and more.

• The Detroit Symphony Orchestra will be at the Greater Grace Temple, playing music by African American composers. The free performance starts at 7 p.m.

• Roots, Rhythm and Flow is starting at Valade Park on the Detroit Riverfront. There will be music, games and resources for housing and health. The event runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

• Detroit’s 2025 Juneteenth Parade and Celebration will be held from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., beginning at Tabernacle Missionary Baptist Church on W Grand Boulevard.

• The Detroit Association of Black Organizations and DoorDash will host a Juneteenth food giveaway at the Bridge Center Library from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m.