Northsiders celebrating Juneteenth with a long list of events
The Voices of Inspiration choir from Greater Mount Vernon Missionary Baptist Church brought praise and joy to the Juneteeth stage in 2019. Photo by David Pierini
From staff reports
June 19 had no official holiday status and its significance was lost on most Americans in 1985 when 200 people at the Oak Park Neighborhood Center gathered to celebrate history.
The event is widely considered the first time African Americans in the Twin Cities came together to observe Juneteenth, a celebratory shorthand that recognizes the end of slavery in America.
This Juneteenth is the first-ever in Minnesota recognized as an official government holiday and the size and number of celebrations has grown just in North Minneapolis alone.
Below is a list of Northside celebrations, including the Oak Park Neighborhood Center, which is hosting a Juneteenth event for the first time in several years.
Today: Skate your way into a celebratory mood with at free skate party at the Capri Theater Plaza, 2027 W. Broadway Ave. N. from 3 to 7 p.m.
Saturday: A Juneteenth parade will be leave the parking lot of the Davis Center on West Broadway Avenue at 11 a.m. and make its way to Bethune Park, 1304 N. 10th Ave. Once there, an afternoon of entertainment will begin for the annual Juneteenth celebration sponsored by the Minneapolis Parks and Recreation Board, NAACP Minneapolis, the Phyllis Wheatley Community Center, Alerus and People of Color Union Members.
Maya Marchelle will emcee an event that futures music from Jamecia Bennett, Jamela Pettiford, Obi Original and BDOT Croc. There will also be a performance by the Brooklyn Park Lions Drum Corp and living painting from North Minneapolis-based artist Kenneth Caldwell. Visit minneapolisparks.org/juneteenth for more information.
- UROC will host a block party Saturday noon to 6 p.m. on Plymouth Avenue between Morgan and Penn avenues. The event will begin with a commemorative march with the block party beginning at 1 p.m. There will be live music and story-telling performances, art-making, workshops, an interactive kids zone, free hairs cuts and more.
Monday: West Broadway Avenue North , from Lyndale to Emerson avenues, will be closed to traffic for a Juneteenth block party that runs from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The block party will kick off with a short parade at 10 and will feature a socio-economic justice rally and panel discussion at 11:30, a mind and body healing and wellness center, two stages of entertainment, community resources and more.
- Oak Park Center, 1701 Oak Park Ave. N., will hold a celebration and cookout from 1 to 5 p.m. The event is a great way to connect with community, learning about the programs of Pillsbury United Communities and enjoy a delicious meal served by Oak Park’s Chef DeeDee.