By Arrick Garringer—

All are invited to celebrate Juneteenth on Saturday, June 18 at McCulloch Park

MUNCIE, Ind. – The Juneteenth Muncie 2022 celebration will take place from 3-9 p.m. on Saturday, June 18 at McCulloch Park. (Rain date: Saturday July 9, 2022)

“The June 19 holiday falls on Father’s Day this year, so we’re celebrating a day earlier on June 18 to allow people to spend time with family on Sundays,” said Dorica Watson, co-chair of the ‘event.

Everyone is welcome to grab canopies, seats and coolers to enjoy a day at the park, with free food (3pm-6pm), games, bands, spoken word, dancers, DJ , giveaways, prizes and inflatables, as well as cornhole, Delaware County Championship Wrestling, chess tournament and special musical guest, Bashiri Asad, according to the Juneteenth Muncie Facebook page.

Vendors will be offering food and merchandise, and community tables will be available. More information is available including links to volunteer or donate at juneteenthmuncie.com

This year’s Juneteenth celebration is a joint effort of the Juneteenth Muncie Committee and partner organization, Indiana Black Expo – Muncie Chapter. Shafer Leadership Academy is the presenting sponsor of the event.

Juneteenth is a holiday commemorating the end of slavery, marking the date June 19, 1865, when Union soldiers announced in Galveston, Texas that the Civil War was over and all slaves were free, more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation. .

About Juneteenth Muncie

The mission of the Juneteenth Muncie Committee is to promote awareness and appreciation of African American history and life in order to build more inclusive communities today.

About Juneteenth

Although most marked the end of slavery with the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1963, there were over 250,000 enslaved blacks who remained under the rule of the masters until June 19, 1865. Even if the Emancipation Proclamation had been signed 2 years prior, it could not be implemented in areas of West Texas where there was strong Confederate control. On June 19, 1865, in Galveston Bay, Texas, approximately 2,000 Union soldiers freed the remaining slaves – a day now known as “Juneteenth”. Juneteenth is also known as “Juneteenth Independence Day”, “Freedom Day” or “Emancipation Day”.

[Source: National Museum of African American History & Culture. The Historical Legacy of Juneteenth. https://nmaahc.si.edu/explore/stories/historical-legacy-juneteenth]