PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — To celebrate Juneteenth, the American holiday marking the day the last enslaved people in the country learned that they were free, the African American Museum in Philadelphia is hosting its annual block party.
The block party at Seventh and Arch streets starts at noon and runs until 7 p.m. Admission is free. The theme is "Rhythms of Liberation," celebrating Juneteenth through music, and a number of artists will be there, including hip hop duo Kid 'n Play, headlining at 4 p.m.
Apart from music, there are activities, food trucks, artisans and vendors. And there's a lot to learn, as well. Free admission to the museum all day starts at 10 a.m. and runs to 5 p.m. Online registration is required. All time slots are currently sold out. Entry is on a first-come, first-serve basis.
Juneteenth was recognized as a federal holiday three years ago, but long before that, generations of Black Americans have celebrated the significance of this day.
"My first Juneteenth was in 2006 and, like a lot of people, I wasn't familiar with what Juneteenth was, at the time," said Christopher Miller, the museum's executive vice president. "But it's very significant because, when we talk about the process towards freedom and liberation, Juneteenth plays a very significant role in that."
June 19, 1865, is the day Union soldiers brought the news of freedom to enslaved Black people in Galveston, Texas — some 2 1/2 years after President Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation had freed slaves in Southern states.
In 2019, Gov. Tom Wolf declared Juneteenth a state holiday in Pennsylvania. Then in 2021, shortly before President Joe Biden made it a federal holiday, Juneteenth became an official holiday in Philadelphia and the kickoff of the city's Welcome America celebration, which culminate in the Fourth of July.
AAMP is also celebrating its 48th anniversary as one of the first institutions funded and built by a major municipality to preserve and protect African-American heritage.