The NAU community is encouraged to join the Flagstaff community in a celebration of Juneteenth in the coming days.
Juneteenth, which is short for June 19, commemorates the last slaves being freed in Texas after the Civil war. According to The New York Times Juneteenth originated in Galveston, Texas, on June 19, 1865, two months after Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee surrendered at Appomattox Court House in Virginia, officially ending the Civil War. Gen. Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston to officially inform slaves of their freedom and the end of the war. Juneteenth is considered the longest-running African American holiday. On June 17, 2021, President Biden officially made Juneteenth a federal holiday.
The Flagstaff Murdoch Center is hosting a series of public events and activities to commemorate the holiday.
- Inaugural Juneteenth gala: 5-9 p.m. at the High Country Conference Center
- Community festival: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. June 18 at the Murdoch Community Center. There will be vendors, games, and musical performances.
- Juneteenth concert featuring Serpentire Fire: 3 p.m. June 19 at the Pepsi Amphitheater at Fort Tuthill. Tickets are available at flagstaffsymphony.org.
Learn more about Juneteenth from the National Museum of African American History & Culture.