Newport News kicked off a series of events Monday to celebrate the Juneteenth holiday, which commemorates the end of slavery in the United States, by raising the Juneteenth flag inside City Hall.
Next week, on June 19, the city will mark the day with a Juneteenth Freedom Festival, but it will not include a parade like it did last year, as the city is dedicating those resources toward the popular Southeast Community Day parade instead.
At Monday’s event, city officials emphasized the importance of recognizing Juneteenth, which became a paid state holiday in Virginia in 2020 and a federal holiday in 2021.
The holiday, also known as Emancipation Day, recognizes June 19, 1865. On that date, Union soldiers arrived in Galveston, Texas — more than two years after President Abraham Lincoln had signed the Emancipation Proclamation — and announced the Civil War had ended and that all enslaved African Americans there were freed.
“I think it’s important that in the city of Newport News, we recognize and honor our history, our culture and our legacy,” Mayor Phillip Jones said. “And as long as I’m mayor, we will continue to do Juneteenth events in Newport News.”
The ceremony, held inside due to weather, included prayer, reflection, singing the national anthem and “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” sometimes known as the Black national anthem. Jones recounted the inhumane treatment and slavery that millions of African Americans had been subjected to for more than 200 years after arrival in the United States. He said the holiday is a time to “celebrate human freedom and the resilience of African Americans as we reflect on the grievous legacy of slavery and rededicate ourselves to justice and opportunity for all Americans.”
David Freeman, assistant to the city manager, urged those watching to continue “the work of building a more just and equitable society for all.”
“We remember and acknowledge the long and difficult journey Black Americans have endured and celebrate our resiliency and strength,” Freeman said. “It is also a day of hope, a day to look forward to a future where all people are treated with equality, dignity and respect.”
City offices are closed on Juneteenth and Newport News will celebrate the day with a free festival from noon to 5 p.m. at King-Lincoln Park, located at 600 Jefferson Ave.The event features musical entertainment from The Champagne Band, United Souls, The Unifics and R&B singer Bobby V, as well as food and craft vendors, informational exhibits, and children’s activities.
Missing from the activities will be a parade. Last year, the city hosted an inaugural Juneteenth parade. But this year, after considering whether it could afford to fund both the Juneteenth parade and the Southeast Community Day parade, a popular, longstanding parade, the city opted to scale back.
The Southeast Community Day Parade, typically held in September, was drastically scaled down last year after the City Council changed the special events permit ordinance so organizers — not the city — would be responsible for paying all associated costs. Previously, Newport News had fronted costs for parades and festivals — even those not sponsored by the city. The change meant the parade would have cost organizers almost $15,000, so organizer Andrew Shannon withdrew his permit and hosted a much smaller unofficial event on the sidewalks.
Jones said the community wanted the southeast parade instead of the Juneteenth parade, so the city allocated resources to make that a reality.
Even without a parade, former Vice Mayor Saundra Cherry, chair of the Downtown Newport News Merchants and Neighbors Association and longtime advocate for getting the city to celebrate Juneteenth, praised the city’s efforts to expand education and awareness of the holiday.
“Our No. 1 goal will continue to be unity in the community,” she said.
Josh Janney, joshua.janney@virginiamedia.com.
