SUMMIT COUNTY, OHIO—Summit County Executive Ilene Shapiro and County Council are asking residents to join them in celebrating the Juneteenth holiday. Two years ago, in a historic moment, the United States Senate and House of Representatives passed legislation to create the holiday and President Biden declared Juneteenth to be a national holiday in the United States, making it the first new federal holiday created in nearly four decades. Summit County joined the federal government and the State of Ohio in establishing Juneteenth as an official holiday.
Though the Juneteenth holiday was only recently formalized, many Americans have celebrated it annually for decades. Juneteenth commemorates the Union Army’s final announcement of the Emancipation Proclamation, ending legal slavery in the United States. The Emancipation Proclamation was issued on January 1, 1863, however, the news did not reach enslaved Black people in Galveston, Texas until June 19, 1865, just months before ratification of the 13th Amendment, which ultimately ended slavery in the nation.
“On Juneteenth, we have the opportunity to not only reflect on our nation’s history of slavery, but also to recognize the potential to advance equity for Black people who live and work in Summit County and to live up to the principals we embrace as Americans,” said Executive Shapiro. “We should all use this holiday as an opportunity to celebrate the culture and many achievements of Black Americans in Summit County and throughout the nation.”
Residents can join one or several community events to celebrate Juneteenth. Local events include:
Akron Urban League Juneteenth Celebration
Friday, June 16 2:00 – 6:00 p.m. at 440 Vernon Odom Blvd Akron
25th Annual Juneteenth Festival
Saturday, June 17 1:00 – 7:00 p.m. at Stoner/Hawkins Park
Juneteenth Culturebana Fashion Show
Sunday, June 18 4:00 – 11:00 p.m. at Summit County Fairgrounds
Joy Park Juneteenth Festival
Monday, June 19 12:00 – 5:00 p.m. at Joy Park Community Center
Celebrating Juneteenth: Community Conversations + Reflections
Monday, June 19 6:00 – 7:30 p.m. at Silver Springs Lodge in Stow
A list of area events is available at https://www.downtownakron.com/explore/juneteenth.
