The whole community is invited to a vibrant, meaningful and fun-filled Juneteenth Block Party this Saturday, June 17th, in North Minneapolis. Presented by the University of Minnesota’s Office for Equity and Diversity and the College of Design, the event centers on the theme of The Art of Freedom: Joy. Resistance. Rest.
A commemorative march kicks off the day at noon at the Robert J Jones Urban and Outreach-Engagement Center (UROC), 2001 Plymouth Ave.
N. It will be followed by speakers, workshops, free food and lots of live music from local performers. The Block Party will also showcase Black vendors, storytellers, live performers and DJs. Families will appreciate interactive fun for youth of all ages, including roller skating, books, free haircuts, art-making, a bouncy house, a petting zoo (featuring a llama!) and more.
“We want to use Juneteenth as a way to highlight the Black experience, not just the struggle but celebrating moments of freedom and liberation and making time for rest,” said Professor Terresa Moses, director of Design Justice in the College of Design at the U of M.
This is the second year the U’s Office for Equity and Diversity has staged its Juneteenth event in North Minneapolis and there are plans to make it an important annual event for the community, especially as an opportunity to educate youth.
“It’s super important to recognize where we come from; we can’t build a better future if we don’t know where we have been. We are celebrating freedom because we were once not able to,” Dr. Moses noted. Think about the attack that African American and Black history is under at this moment. There are systems of oppression that impact the Black community. This is a celebration of one of those systems being abolished.”
The university made a conscious decision to schedule the Block Party event on the Saturday before the official Juneteenth holiday, which will be marked on Monday, June 19th. But the day holds its own historical roots.
“Our organizing committee knows that our community already has activities on the actual holiday so we are happy to be adjacent,” Dr. Moses said. “Historically, people were finding out about their freedom during that whole week, the teenths, so extending the celebration through the week is in keeping with what really happened.”
This is the first year that the U of M’s Board of Regents officially recognized Juneteenth as a university holiday on June 19; all classes and campus activities are cancelled and all university employees have the day off. Juneteenth is also the nation’s newest federal holiday.
UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA JUNETEENTH BLOCK PARTY
Saturday June 17, Noon to 6:00 p.m.
Commemorative March begins at noon at Robert J Jones Urban and Outreach-Engagement Center (UROC)
2001 Plymouth Ave. North
Minneapolis, MN 55411
Free parking, first come, first served, at NorthPoint Health & Wellness Center parking garage,1256 Penn Ave N. Uber or Lyft drop off at the parking lot at N. 14th Ave and Penn Ave N. The $10 voucher code for the first 100 attendees on each platform: UMNJUNETEENTH.
For more information click here.
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