Juneteenth Celebration 2025

Juneteenth, a national holiday celebrated on June 19, is the name given to Emancipation Day by African-Americans in Texas. This year Juneteenth is celebrated on Saturday, June 21, 2025.

The history of this celebration begins on January 1st 1863, when President Lincoln passed the Emancipation Proclamation, outlawing slavery in the United States and freeing over 500,000 enslaved African Americans. Sadly, the news of this monumental decision spread slowly and many people remained enslaved until the news reached them two and a half years later. Galveston, Texas was the first community to celebrate the holiday now known as “Juneteenth.”

Given the need for compassion and understanding in our communities, the importance of celebrating Juneteenth in Ventura County has never been more crucial. The timing has never been more urgent. We hope that celebrating Juneteenth will inspire community dialogue on unity and empathy, leading to increased compassion, understanding, and social justice for all.

Veterans for Peace will set up a booth for the Juneteenth Festival, Oxnard Plaza Park. Please come by and join in on the fun!