The Emancipation Proclamation was signed in January 1863, legally freeing all enslaved people in the United States. But Juneteenth, also known as Black Independence Day and Jubilee Day, celebrates the policy’s practical implementation. The date marks the anniversary of Union troops’ arrival in Galveston Bay, Texas, on June 19, 1865, and the ensuing declaration of freedom for more than 250,000 enslaved Black people in the westernmost Confederate state.
Long celebrated in African American communities, Juneteenth became a federal holiday in 2021. In Washington, D.C., where Black people constitute nearly half the population (and an even higher percentage of D.C.-born residents), there are many opportunities to celebrate.
June 15 at 6 p.m. Live! At The Library: Black Archives: A Photographic Celebration of Black Life
Library of Congress
10 First St., SE
Free, timed pass required
Juneteenth- and Emancipation-related objects from the Library of Congress’s collection are on display for extended evening hours this Thursday.
June 17 at 11 a.m. Juneteenth Community Day
National Museum of African American History and Culture
1400 Constitution Ave., NW
Free, registration required
The National Museum of African American History and Culture celebrates Juneteenth through the senses, inviting guests to participate in gardening, cooking, music and crafts and learn how these arts sustained Black culture in America all weekend. Timed passes are largely sold out, but you can still log on at 8:15 a.m. for the chance to snag one of a limited number of same-day passes.
June 17 at 11 a.m. Juneteenth Family Day at the National Archives
Boeing Learning Center
701 Constitution Ave., NW
Free
On June 19, 1865, Union General Gordon Granger issued General Order No. 3, which firmly declared the end of slavery in a state where emancipation had been violently denied. The handwritten order, and the Emancipation Proclamation itself, are on display from June 17 to 19 at the National Archives. (The Emancipation Proclamation can only withstand 36 hours of sunlight per year.)
June 17 at 1 p.m. Home Rule Music Festival 2023
The Parks Historic Walter Reed
1010 Butternut St., NW
Free
This annual celebration of D.C.’s vibrant music and cultural scene takes place over three days—June 16, 17 and 24—with this free “family day” featuring go-go pioneers E.U. (previously Experience Unlimited), Gil Scott-Heron collaborator Brian Jackson and others, plus a record fair, mural painting, local food trucks and much more.
June 18 at 1:30 p.m. Go-Go on the Rooftop with Black Alley
Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library
901 G St., NW
Free
A subgenre of funk music with an instantly recognizable syncopated beat and an emphasis on audience participation, go-go music is the official sound of D.C. Celebrate with local band Black Alley on the flagship library’s rooftop this Sunday. The library’s Juneteenth programming also includes a visit from 104-year-old Tulsa Race Massacre survivor Viola Ford Fletcher, who will discuss her memoir, “Don’t Let Them Bury My Story,” Sunday at 2 p.m.
June 19 at 11 a.m. Juneteenth Freedom Celebration: Unity. Freedom. Acknowledgment.
Anacostia Community Museum
1901 Fort Pl., SE
Free
The Anacostia Community Museum illuminates the stories of people furthest from opportunity in the Washington, D.C. region and spotlights collective action, creativity and connection. This day of celebration includes music curated in partnership with PorchFest DC, trivia, an urban gardening workshop and much more.