5.20.2022 Gaithersburg Commemorates Juneteenth with Proclamation and Events

Gaithersburg, MD (May 19, 2022) The City of Gaithersburg commemorates Juneteenth/Freedom Day with programs, a tribute at the Jubilation Day Gospel Concert, and an official proclamation. City offices will be closed on Monday, June 20 in observance of the holiday. Recycling will be collected on its regular schedule, but bulk pick ups will not be scheduled.

June 19, 2022, best known as Juneteenth/Freedom Day, marks the 157th anniversary of the arrival of Union soldiers and General Gordon Granger in Galveston, Texas. On June 19, 1865, two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation, the Union soldiers enforced the President's order ending enslavement.

About six months after Granger brought the message of emancipation to Texas, Congress ratified the 13th Amendment to the United States Constitution, formally abolishing slavery. Since June 19, 1866, freed slaves have marked the day to celebrate their independence. Juneteenth is also known as Black Independence Day, Freedom Day and Jubilee Day. 

At the Mayor and City Council meeting on Monday, June 6, Mayor Jud Ashman will issue an official Proclamation designating June 19, 2022, as Juneteenth in Gaithersburg, acknowledging the historical significance of the day and recommitting the City to working toward the dismantling of institutionalized racism. The Proclamation urges all residents to become more aware of the significance of this celebration in African-American history and in the heritage of our nation and City. The meeting can be viewed live starting at 7:30 p.m. on the City's YouTube channel.

The City will also acknowledge Juneteenth during the 16th annual Jubilation Day Gospel Concert on Saturday, June 11 from 3 to 7 p.m. at the City Hall Concert Pavilion. Gospel music, the uniquely American art form that gave rise to jazz, blues, R&B, and rock and roll, will be celebrated in all of its glory with performances of all styles of Gospel, Christian and uplifting music by local and regional artists.

The Benjamin Gaither Center presents "Celebrating Juneteenth – a TED Talk and Discussion" as its monthly Social Symposium Lecture. It takes place on Friday, June 17 at 11 a.m.

The Gaithersburg Community Museum hosts “Celebrating Juneteenth,” a free, drop-in activity on Sunday, June 19 from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Visitors will learn about the official Juneteenth flag and the significance of the color red in recognition of this day.