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Detroit and Michigan Uplift Juneteenth with Celebrations and a Call for Black Policy Protection

June 19, 2025

Juneteenth commemorates June 19, 1865, when Union General Gordon Granger announced in Galveston, Texas that enslaved people were free, more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed. Governor Gretchen Whitmer and Lieutenant Governor Garlin Gilchrist II have officially proclaimed June 19 as Juneteenth National Independence Day in Michigan, with government offices closing for the holiday. The proclamation emphasizes both celebrating Black resilience and recommitting to ongoing justice work, acknowledging that freedom requires not just recognition but policy protections.

Who is affected

  • Black Americans and communities in Michigan
  • Michigan state employees (who will have the day off)
  • Detroit residents and visitors attending Juneteenth celebrations
  • Attendees of various cultural events across Michigan
  • Students and people learning about Black history
  • Michigan citizens broadly, as the proclamation affects state recognition

What action is being taken

  • Michigan government offices are closing to observe Juneteenth as an official state holiday
  • The Detroit Symphony Orchestra is hosting free community concerts featuring music from Black composers
  • A block party is being held at Hart Plaza as part of the Hart of Detroit Summer Fest
  • Hamtramck Stadium is hosting a homerun derby and presentations on Negro Leagues baseball
  • The Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History is conducting a program with remarks from museum leadership and Detroit's city historian
  • Flint is holding its 53rd annual Traditional Juneteenth celebration

Why it matters

  • Juneteenth recognizes a 900-day delay in freedom for enslaved people in Texas after the Emancipation Proclamation
  • The holiday acknowledges both historical injustice and Black resilience
  • It serves as a reminder that progress requires both commemoration and concrete policy action
  • The proclamation comes at a time when, according to State Rep. O'Neal, "diversity, equity and inclusion [are] blatantly under attack and attempts to erase Black history mounting"
  • The official recognition gives institutional weight to a truth Black families have celebrated for decades

What's next

  • No explicit next steps stated in the article

Read full article from source: Michigan Chronicle

Detroit and Michigan Uplift Juneteenth with Celebrations and a Call for Black Policy Protection