Juneteenth celebration events June 12 and 19

The Georgetown Cultural Citizen Memorial Association will host a virtual event on Saturday, June 12, and an in-person event on Saturday, June 19, to celebrate Juneteenth. Both events are free and open to the public.

June 12 virtual event

The virtual event from noon to 1 p.m. Saturday, June 12, will address education, health, and justice for all. Panelists for the online event are Eastview High School Principal La Toya Easter, Wayne Sneed from the Austin ISD Police Department, and Derrick Neal, Williamson County and Cities and Health District executive director.

To register for the online event, visit gccmatx.com/community.

June 19 in-person event

An in-person Juneteenth celebration is noon to 1 p.m. Saturday, June 19. The event is at 801 West St. next to the historical Shotgun House. Featured guests include the Saving Grace Praise Team, gospel singer Chad Jackson, and keynote speaker Wesley Jarmon, a retired administrator for the Federal Communications Commission and founder of the Ernest Everett Just Foundation whose mission is to foster academic excellence for students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

Juneteenth history

Juneteenth marks the day on June 19, 1865, when Union soldiers landed at Galveston and reported that the Civil War was over and slavery had ended. The Emancipation Proclamation freeing the slaves had been in effect since Jan. 1, 1863, but word did not reach Texas for more than two years. Juneteenth was declared an official state holiday in Texas in 1980.