June 16-19: It’s Juneteenth Weekend!

HAMPTON ROADS
Juneteenth is regarded as the first African-American holiday and is observed today in 45 of the 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia.
The observance dates from June 19, 1865, General Gordon Granger sailed into Galveston (Texas) harbor and issued a proclamation giving freedom to approximately 250,000 Blacks in Texas still in bondage 2 1⁄2 years after President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation was enacted on Jan. 1,1863.

Chesapeake Program: ‘Who Are You?’

Juneteenth International, Inc. will present a program on June 17, 2017 from 12-4 p.m. at The Hope Center, 1425 Gust Lane, Chesapeake, VA 23320.
This event is sponsored by Ernest Lowery, Lowery’s Custom Video & Photography and is being supported by New Chesapeake Men for Progress Education Foundation, Inc. and the New Journal & Guide.
For more information, call Ernest Lowery at (757) 737-2180.

‘Village Ceremony’ At Fort Monroe

A village ceremony will be held at noon on Monday, June 19, 2017 at Fort Monroe in Hampton, VA. This is the site, where in August 1619, a small group (“20 and odd”) of African men and women were brought ashore on their way to indentured servitude at Jamestown. In 1861, again at Fort Monroe, three enslaved men escaped and obtained their freedom at the site via a federal policy known as “contraband of war.” This event is organized by Sheri Bailey.

Richmond Activities: ‘A Freedom Celebration’

RICHMOND
Richmond’s Cultural Ambassador, Elegba Folklore Society (EFS), will present “Juneteenth 2017, A Freedom Celebration” on June 16-18. This year’s event will include The Symposium featuring renowned historian Anthony T. Browder; Juneteenth Backyard Party; and a ceremony for Ancestral Homage.
For tickets or more information, visit http://efsinc.org.