Event attendees enjoy themselves during 2024’s Juneteenth celebrations. Unlike the three years prior, Northern Michigan University will be heading the celebrations for Juneteenth. (Photo courtesy of Freddy Sims Jr.)

MARQUETTE – Juneteenth will see a celebration in Marquette and for the first time Northern Michigan University is heading the festivities.

Designated as a federal holiday in 2021, Juneteenth — Thursday, June 19 — marks the 160th anniversary of Major Gen. Gordon Granger arriving in the state of Texas to share the news of the Emancipation Proclamation, two and a half years after Abraham Lincoln signed the document, announcing the official end of the Civil War and freeing the last slaves of America.

Festivities started on Monday and will last until Friday. Events include speech contest finals, a public picnic, a drum workshop, a dance workshop, a film night and a celebration of freedom and culture.

The events are helmed by NMU’s Office of Opportunity, Empowerment and People, which was renamed from the Office of Diversity and Inclusion earlier this year.

“We are doing a whole week of events,” said coordinator of the Center for Community and Connection, Freddy Sims Jr.

“On Tuesday and Wednesday we will have some visiting talent from Wisconsin,” said Sims. “It will be the Nefertari African Dance Company.”

The Nefertari African Dance Company will hold the Rhythms & Motion of Freedom: Drum Workshop at the Ore Dock Brewing Company on today from 6 p.m. through 8 p.m. Drums will be provided. On Wednesday, from 11 a.m. through 1 p.m., the dance company will hold the Rhythms & Motion of Freedom: Dance Workshop, also at the Ore Dock.

“Thursday is Juneteenth, that is going to be our big day,” said Sims. “It will be full of festivities and is free and open to the public at Olson Arena from noon to 4 p.m. We will have concessions there, vendors, bounce houses, we will even have a tight rope kiddie jungle there which will be cool. We also have a really cool lineup of artists …. It is pretty much a day of jubilee.”

On Friday, the last day of the week-long celebration, will be the Legacy & Liberation: A Juneteenth Film Night at Mead Auditorium from 5:30 p.m. through 8:30 p.m. The movie shown will be “Miss Juneteenth,” which highlights black womanhood as a mother prepares her daughter for the Miss Juneteenth pageant. After the movie, there will be a panel and discussion on the movie. The whole week of events has a special meaning for many residents of Marquette and is a great time to show community and share culture.

“For the community, there is an opportunity to learn and be immersed in another culture. To me personally, it is an opportunity to showcase my culture,” said Sims. “I can’t really speak for NMU, but I think it goes a long way to what NMU is saying they want to do because this is putting their words into action.”

There are volunteer spots open for those wishing to help and vendor spots open as well. The organizers can be contacted at juneteenth@nmu.edu.

Antonio Anderson can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 550. His email address is aanderson@miningjournal.net.