Alachua County is partnering with the City of Gainesville to co-sponsor several events during the City of Gainesville’s month-long "Journey to Juneteenth" celebration. The events occur through May and June, leading up to Juneteenth on June 19, 2021. They are all free and open to the public.
Alachua County co-sponsored events include:
- Children’s Scavenger Hunt at Depot Park (874 S.E. 4 St, Gainesville), May 22, from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m.
- Web Series, Part 3, June 7, from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m., Reconstruction and Jim Crow, presented by Alachua County Equity and Community Outreach Manager Dr. Diedre Houchen. Register for this webinar.
- Unveiling of Historical Marker, June 12, from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m., at the Alachua County Administration Building Grounds (12 S.E. 1st Street, Gainesville). This event is part of the Alachua County Community Remembrance Project.
- Freedom Walk, June 19, from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m., at Depot Park (874 S.E. 4 St, Gainesville).
While Juneteenth is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of emancipation, freedom was proclaimed in Florida on May 20, 1865, nearly two years after President Abraham Lincoln issued the proclamation. One month later, on June 19, 1865, Union soldiers finally arrived in Galveston, Texas, with news that the war had ended and the enslaved were free.
For more information, contact Alachua County Equity & Community Outreach Manager Diedre Houchen at 352-647-1373 or
dhouchen@alachuacounty.us.