There are many ways for Oklahomans to celebrate Juneteenth this weekend, including a celebration in east Oklahoma City.
Juneteenth on the East returns this weekend. The festival is a three-day-long celebration that kicks off with a 5k run and ends with brunch. In between, there will be music, including headliner MYA, as well as a car show, art, dancing, face-painting, and more.
OKC rapper Jabee is one of the organizers of the festival. He describes the origin of the holiday.
“Juneteenth is the celebration of the liberation Black people in America. It was the day where a general arrived in Galveston years after slaves were already free, but there were people still holding slaves in the Southern U.S.,” said Jabee.
When the general told the slaves they were free, a celebration broke out. The following year, official celebrations were held across Texas to commemorate the day. And last year, Juneteenth became a federal holiday.
Jabee believes the holiday is for everyone.
“For me, Juneteenth is just as important as the Fourth of July or any American holiday that we celebrate our independence from anybody,” said Jabee. “I think that it's definitely not just my holiday or my community's holiday or my people's holiday. It should be looked at as a holiday for the entire nation anytime that Americans are able to be free. That's something that we should celebrate.”
There are plenty of ways to celebrate this weekend. Check out our list below:
Thursday, June 16
- Tulsa Juneteenth Festival: Art Exhibit; 4-6pm; Zarrow Center for Arts and Education in Tulsa
- Tulsa Juneteenth Festival: Block Party; 6-10:30pm; 700 North Greenwood Ave in Tulsa
- “Music through the Ages” Juneteenth celebration; 6-8pm; Oklahoma History Center in Oklahoma City
Friday, June 17
- Tulsa Juneteenth Festival: Art Exhibit; Noon-6pm; Zarrow Center for Arts and Education in Tulsa
- Tulsa Juneteenth Festival: Homeowners Workshop; 3-6pm; OSU-Tulsa
- Tulsa Juneteenth Festival: Concert; 5-10:30pm; 700 North Greenwood Ave in Tulsa
- Juneteenth on the East: 5K Run; 7-9pm; 1734 NE 23rd Street in Oklahoma City
Saturday, June 18
- Tulsa Juneteenth Festival: Sunrise Run; 5:30-7am; Guthrie Green in Tulsa
- Fun Walk to Juneteenth; 7:30am; Carverdale Addition in Oklahoma City
- Tulsa Juneteenth Festival: Wellness Experience; 8am-12pm; Guthrie Green in Tulsa
- Metropolitan Library Juneteenth Celebration; 9am-5pm; Ralph Ellison Library in Oklahoma City
- Bartlesville Juneteenth Celebration; 11am;Westside Community Center in Bartlesville
- Stillwater’s Annual Community Juneteenth Celebration; 11am-1pm; Southern Woods Park in Stillwater
- Tulsa Juneteenth Festival: Kids Zone; 11am-5pm; B.S. Roberts Park in Tulsa
- Tulsa Juneteenth Festival: Art Exhibit; Noon-6pm; Zarrow Center for Arts and Education in Tulsa
- Midwest City Juneteenth Celebration's Event; 1pm; Joe B. Barnes Regional Park in Midwest City
- Black, Bold, Beautiful Bazaar: Juneteenth Edition; 1-6pm; Cole Community Center in Oklahoma City
- Commemorating Black Wall Street & Juneteenth (Zoom event); 1pm
- Juneteenth on the East: concert and car show; 3-9pm; NE 23rd Ave. from N. Kelham Ave. to N. Hood St. in Oklahoma City
- Lawton 2022 Juneteenth Celebration; 3:30-7pm; Patterson Center in Lawton
- The Juneteenth Sessions; 4-6pm; Woody Guthrie Center in Tulsa
- Guthrie Juneteenth Celebration; 4-10pm; Mineral Wells Park in Guthrie
- Tulsa Juneteenth Festival: Concert; 5-10:30pm; 700 North Greenwood Ave in Tulsa
- Norman Juneteenth; 5:30-10pm; Reaves Park in Norman
- Juneteenth Music and Arts Festival at Washington Park; 6:30pm; Washington Park in Oklahoma City
Sunday, June 19
- Juneteenth on the East: Brunch; 11am-1pm; Florence’s Restaurant, 1437 NE 23rd St.
- Juneteenth with Fire in Little Africa documentary screening; 6-10pm; Rodeo Cinema
Monday, June 20
- The Joke’s On “U”: Juneteenth Celebration of Freedom; 7-9pm; Mayfair Event Center in Oklahoma City
Editor's Note: Jabee is the co-host of Grand Union Radio on The Spy on KOSU