Here are 5 events to celebrate Juneteenth 2021 on the Mississippi Gulf Coast
On June 19, 1865, the day after 2,000 Union troops arrived in Galveston, Texas, Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger issued General Order No. 3.
His soldiers marched through Galveston reading it aloud, including at a church for Black enslaved people, today called Reedy Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church.
“The people of Texas are informed that, in accordance with a proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free,” the soldiers read. “This involves an absolute equality of personal rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves.”
In Texas, 250,000 enslaved African Americans who had been kept in bondage — even after Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee surrendered at Appomattox two months earlier — were free.
The next year, they celebrated the anniversary. In the decades since, Juneteenth celebrations have become an annual tradition, first among African Americans in Texas, and gradually throughout the country, including on the Mississippi Gulf Coast.
In 2020, as millions of people protested racism against Black Americans, Juneteenth got new attention around the country, and, some Coast event organizers said, new significance.
“The meaning of the celebration is always the same,” a Moss Point Juneteenth attendee named Angie Haynes told the Sun Herald last year. “But what’s different this year is what’s happening in the world that brings more focus to the event.”
In 2021, event organizers hope to continue promoting Juneteenth and educating people about African American history and the significance of emancipation.
Organizers of the Gulfport City-Wide Juneteenth Celebration this year believe theirs is the first in about 20 years in Mississippi’s second-largest city.
Here’s a roundup of Juneteenth festivities on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, organized by location.
Biloxi Juneteenth
The Krewe of Legends and Course Construction present Juneteenth 2021: History, Culture & Progression. The event will offer free food, music, arts and more.
Memorial Hospital will also be distributing Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines at the event from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Appointments are preferred but walk-ups are welcome. People aged 12 and older are eligible. To schedule an appointment, call the COVID-19 Hotline at (228) 867-5000 Monday - Friday – 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
When: Postponed to Saturday, June 26, 2 p.m.-7 p.m.
Where: John Henry Beck Park, 671 Division St., Biloxi
Gautier - Juneteenth Freedom Festival
Join Jackson County CORE (Community Organization Responsible for Engagement) at its second annual Juneteenth Freedom Festival. The festival offers free food, games, face painting and haircuts for young people. Food trucks and vendors will also have items available for purchase.
The Friends of Arts, Culture and Education (FACE), Memorial Hospital and Use Your Words are also sponsors.
When: Because of inclement weather, the event has been postponed to July 17.
Where: Gautier City Park, 902 De La Point Drive
Gulfport City-Wide Juneteenth Celebration
The celebration kicks off on Friday, June 18, with an oratorical contest where kids will compete for more than $2,000 in scholarships. At 8 p.m., a sponsors’ mixer will offer light hors d’oeuvres and a cash bar.
On Juneteenth, a parade starts at 11:19 a.m. from the Isiah Fredericks Community Center.
Starting at 12:19 p.m., a festival featuring gospel, R&B and hip hop artists will take place at the Amos Crouch Sr. ball fields.
On Sunday, June 20, a Freedom Brunch & Awards Ceremony “Honoring Black Fathers, Leaders, and Advocates” will include a presentation of awards for fathers in attendance.
When: Activities start at 6:30 p.m. Friday, June 18. The parade rolls at 11:19 a.m. Saturday, followed by a festival at 12:19 p.m.
Where: Most activities take place at the Isiah Fredericks Community Center. The oratorical contest will be held at the New Evening Baptist Star Church. See the event website for details.
For more information: http://gulfportjuneteenth.com/
Ohr-O’Keefe Museum Juneteenth Celebration
Biloxi’s Ohr-O’Keefe Museum of Art presents a Juneteenth celebration in collaboration with the Cosmic Poetry Sanctuary. Admission is free.
The event offers spoken word poetry, a food truck and, at 3 p.m. a gallery talk with Kathleen Varnell in the Beau Rivage African American Gallery.
Where: Ohr-O’Keefe Museum of Art, 386 Beach Boulevard, Biloxi
When: 11 a.m. - 5 p.m. Saturday, June 19
For more information: https://georgeohr.org/event/juneteenth/
Waveland Juneteenth Celebration
Waveland’s Juneteenth celebration will feature Black history trivia by Greg B. Productions, a live D.J. and painting for kids.
Where: Martin Luther King Jr. Park on Herlihy Street
When: 11 a.m. - 7 p.m. Saturday, June 19
For more information: Contact Greg Barabino, Hancock County NAACP President: 501-554-1753
Did we miss an event? Email itaft@sunherald.com to add an event to the list.
This story was originally published June 15, 2021 at 5:50 AM.
