Photograph of African-American band at Emancipation Day celebration, June 19, 1900, held in “East Woods” on East 24th Street in Austin. Mrs. Grace Murray Stephenson kept a diary of the day’s events, which she later sold to the San Francisco Chronicle, which wrote a full-page feature on it. (Photo credit: Austin History Center, Austin Public Library)
GRAND CANYON, Ariz. — The public is invited to celebrate Juneteenth on June 19 at Grand Canyon National Park. This day of events, including special programming, food and live music is sponsored by the National Park Service and Grand Canyon Conservancy.
On June 19, 1865, Major General Gordon Granger read his general orders to the people of Texas, recognizing and enforcing the end of slavery. June 19, or Juneteenth, is a day set aside to commemorate the freedom of African Americans from the bonds of slavery in the United States.
Over 100 years ago, world-renowned American sociologist, civil rights activist, and founder of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), W.E.B. DuBois visited the Grand Canyon and reflected on the turbulence of Jim Crow America juxtaposed with the, “…the one thing that lived and will live eternal in my soul, the Grand Cañon.” His reflections on public lands as places of healing and restoration contribute to critical dialogues today about community access to our National Parks.
Juneteenth events
Special daytime events on June 19 include a 10 a.m. Ranger Talk at Verkamp’s Visitor Center exploring the history and meaning of Juneteenth across the nation, and here at Grand Canyon. This program will be followed immediately by a 2.5-mile (4 km) ranger-led Freedom Walk from the Historic Village to Grand Canyon Visitor Center. This walk will symbolize the 2.5 years it took for the Emancipation Proclamation to reach Galveston, TX on June 19, 1865. Along the way, rangers will share opportunities to learn more about community and freedom related to this special day.
From 11 a.m. – 4 p.m., visitors and community members are invited to come by the Grand Canyon Visitor Center Plaza to learn more about Juneteenth and appreciate live music presented by the Aaron McCall Band.
At 3 p.m., all are invited to join a special presentation at the Grand Canyon Visitor Center by Margaret Hangan, Project Archaeologist for Tonto National Forest. Her program, “African American History and Migration to Northern Arizona,” will explore the mechanisms that brought people of African descent to the western United States, with an emphasis on the Grand Canyon region.
We look forward to celebrating this special day with the visiting public to Grand Canyon National Park.
— Grand Canyon National Park, in northern Arizona, encompasses 278 miles (447 km) of the Colorado River and adjacent uplands. Located on the ancestral homeland of 11 Associated Tribes, Grand Canyon is one of the most spectacular examples of erosion anywhere in the world—unmatched in the incomparable vistas it offers visitors on the rim. Grand Canyon National Park is a World Heritage Site. The National Park Service cares for the special places saved by the American people so that all may experience our heritage.