Nebraska Cities Plan Juneteenth Celebrations

June 18, 2020, 11:55 a.m. ·

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Events in several Nebraska cities will celebrate Juneteenth and educate participants on the historic holiday.

June 19 commemorates the day in 1865 that the last enslaved people were told of their freedom — two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation.

Omaha: Juneteenth Festival

  • Friday, June 19 | 5 p.m.
  • LeVentre (1458 South 16th)

"It’s our Independence Day," said organizer Philip Brown. "So we feel this should be a celebration every year."

The festival will include free food and live music.

Nebraska City: Juneteenth Celebration

  • Saturday, June 20 | 11 a.m. & 2 p.m.
  • G.A.R. Hall (910 1st Corso)

Annual event for Mayhew Cabin, the state's first recognized Underground Railroad site.

It will include a reading of the Emancipation Proclamation at 11 a.m. and Frederick Douglass’s speech “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?” at 2 p.m., followed by discussions after each program.

Lincoln: Juneteenth Rally

  • Friday, June 19 | 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
  • Indian Center (1100 Military Road)

"Join in on a different approach to celebrate Juneteenth. We are not free. We are FREE- ish. Until black lives matter, we will continue to fight and protest our injustice. National marches are taking place so let’s do our part!"