Juneteenth Events in East Tennessee

The official Juneteenth flag was designed in 1997, to commemorate the day slavery ended for the last to be freed in Galveston, TX.

The United States has instituted a federal holiday that commemorates the end of slavery, Juneteenth! The day the South was ordered to set their captive African slaves free.

The House voted 415-14 on Wednesday, June 16, to make Juneteenth – June 19th, the 12th federal holiday. The bill was signed into law by President Joe Biden on Thursday, June 17th.

Most Americans have no knowledge of Juneteenth or its significance in American history. Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation to end the business of profiteering from the enslavement of captive Africans into law in 1863. Many Southern states delayed enforcing the order for another 2-years.

Enslaved Africans were forbidden to communicate in their native tongue or learn to read English. They were shielded from the knowledge that they were no longer slaves. After the Emancipation Proclamation of 1863 was signed many Southern states delayed enforcing the law for over 2-years, in order to maximize their financial gains and profit from free labor.

Tennessee Military governor Andrew Jackson in Greenville, Tennessee complied. Jackson freed his slaves on August 8, 1963, which established the August 8th celebration in some states.

Many southern states ignored the official Emancipation Proclamation of 1863 for over 2-years. Texas is recognized among the first Southern states to set their captives free on June 19, 1865.

Events in history leading to Juneteenth were decades in the making, which includes the Civil War.

KNOXVILLE

May be an image of 1 person and text that says '2021 MLK AWARD RECIPIENTS ADVOCACY: LANCE MCCOLD ARTS: JEANIE MELTON BUSINESS: SANDRA SPENCER, SANDRA CHAIR AWARD: APRIL HARDIN DREAM INSTITUTE COMMUNITY SERVICE: CYNTHIA FINCH DIVERSITY KNOXVILLE UTILITIES BOARD DISTINGUISHED SERVICE: REV. LEAH BURNS EDUCATION: TANYA COATS WE CONGRATULATE EACH AWARD RECIPIENT ON THEIR COMMENT TO CONTINUING THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemorative Commission' — The 2021 MLK Commission is presenting a 2021 Juneteenth celebration as an extension of its January 2021 MLK birthday celebration of events that were postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The recognition of the 2021 MLK Award Recipients will be recognized at a Leadership Awards Luncheon at noon on Thursday, June 17, at the Knoxville Botanical Gardens in East Knoxville. For details on the MLK Commission Juneteenth events go here; to the Knoxville Focus.

Pellissippi State Tune in Saturday, June 19 at 5 p.m. for @JuneteenthUnity , a national livestream event commemorating and celebrating Juneteenth! There will be music, history, storytelling and more – don’t miss it! Check out Juneteenthunityfest.com for more info.

CLINTON, Anderson County

Green McAdoo Cultural Center in Clinton, 101 School Street in Clinton, will host its first-ever Juneteenth Celebration on Saturday, June 19^th, which marks the end of slavery in the United States, on June 19, 1865. Additional parking at Asbury and Mt. Sinai churches, as well as at the football field behind the Community Center. Activities include food from FATS BBQ and the Potato Chef for purchase. Events include: