Juneteenth marks the day enslaved people in Texas were freed, two and half years after Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation.
It’s a significant day, but it hasn’t been celebrated in many communities across North-Central Wisconsin until now.
Kayley McColley is helping to plan the first-ever Juneteenth celebration in Wausau.
It’ll feature arts and crafts, a book give-away to teach about black history, a vaccine clinic, live music and an open mic.
McColley said all of this is to bring people together to celebrate freedom.
“I understand that in Wausau, we have a much smaller black population and we’re not as visible,” she said. “But that being said, especially with Juneteenth just having passed as a federal holiday now, it’s important for everybody, not just the black population. Not everybody might have African heritage, but everybody can resonate with the importance of freedom.”
The celebration comes a year after McColley helped organize a march protesting George Floyd’s murder.
It also comes after the Marathon County board rejected a proposal to declare the county a “Community for All.”
“After the past year, there’s been a lot of division and it’s been really challenging,” McColley said. “I feel like it’s important to come together as a community and do something that is celebratory.”
Wausau’s first Juneteenth Freedom Day celebration is open to everyone.
It’s June 19, from 2 to 9 p.m. at Whitewater Music Hall.