Juneteenth and Cleveland Civil Rights Marker Dedication & Ceremony

Juneteenth, Freedom Day, celebrates the day federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas in 1865 to ensure that all enslaved men and women in Texas would be freed. This came two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed by President Abraham Lincoln. While President Joe Biden recently declared Juneteenth as a federal holiday, Black Americans across the country have been celebrating the holiday for years.  At the African American Garden we will kick off our Juneteenth celebration with a Caravan at 9:30.  The caravan will travel through the neighborhood, with banners, balloons, Juneteenth Flags and car decals to spread the fanfare of Juneteenth.  We are honored to have DaLaun Dillard, Co-anchor at WEWS News as our grand marshall for the Caravan.  We  will continue the celebration of Juneteenth at 11:00 a.m. with The  Kevin Conwell & Footprints Band, a Reenactment of Juneteenth by Prester Pickett, a Student Talent Show sponsored by the Cleveland Cavaliers and Juneteenth Red Food, which represents resilience and joy. There will be a children village with a bouncy house and lots of activities for families.   At 11:45 a.m., we are excited to have the Cleveland Restoration Society and the Ohio History Connection dedicate the Cleveland Civil Rights Marker at the Garden on this historic day.  Our keynote speaker will be Dr. Natoya Walker-Minor for the dedication ceremony. Parking available at Stonebrook Montessori School, 975 East Blvd., 44108 and Willson Elementary School, 1126 Ansel Road, 44108.