Celebrating Juneteenth

In observance of Juneteenth, our recycling facilities and retail store will be closed on Monday, June 19th. We are calling on our communities to recognize this day as a time to reflect, learn, and activate resources to empower the Black community.

Juneteenth is a celebration to commemorate the end of slavery of African Americans in the United States. On this day, it is important to rejoice and also reflect on all the barriers African Americans have faced and continue to face every day.

Here are some ways you can celebrate Juneteenth:

• Learn the full history of Juneteenth and the events leading up to it. Already educated? Teach someone else!
• Celebrate! Join a community event with the Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board like Story Strolls or a drive-in movie, grill out with your friends and family, or attend a local panel discuss!ion.
• Support Black-owned businesses, today and every day! Any product or service you need can frequently be found and purchased through a Black-owned business. Here is a short list to get you started locally.
• Invest in the Black community and donate to supportive organizations. Minnesota Freedom Fund, African Economic Development Services, Black Women’s Wealth Alliance, Twin Cities Recovery Project, Voices for Racial Justice, and Minneapolis Northside Mutual Aid are a few to consider.
• If you are a business owner, commit to observing Juneteenth as a paid holiday.

Why should you celebrate Juneteenth? It commemorates the date – June 19th, 1865, two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation and two months after the end of the Civil War – when hundreds of thousands of enslaved men and women in Texas finally learned they had been freed. In many ways, Juneteenth represents how freedom and justice in the US has always been delayed for Black people.

It is an important milestone in American history and represents resistance, resilience, and Black Joy. Celebrating the accomplishments, art, inventions, innovation, and culture provided by the Black community is a great way to make space and show your support. On June 19th, let this be a time of reflection on how far we have come, while using it as an opportunity to reignite our passion to fight for liberty and justice for all.