About Columbus GA Juneteenth

Juneteenth and General Order No. 3, read on June 19, 1865, announcing that all slaves were free. US President Abraham Lincoln announced the Emancipation Proclamation on September 22, 1862. Two and a half years later, in June of 1865, more than two thousand Federal soldiers of the 13th Army Corps arrived in Galveston and with them Major General Gordon Granger, Commanding Officer, District of Texas. Granger’s men marched through Galveston reading General Order, No. 3 at numerous locations. The order informed all, in accordance with a Proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves were free (Galveston History, 2022).

Juneteenth marks our country’s second Independence Day. Although it has long celebrated in the African American community, this monumental event remains largely unknown to most Americans (National Museum of African American History & Culture, 2022).

In 2022, the inaugural celebration of Juneteenth in Columbus, Georgia was chaired by Councilwoman Toyia Tucker and former Civic Center Director, Rob Landers and was comprised of over 30 local leaders and community organizations. The city’s first unified Unity Week & Juneteenth Jubilee celebration ran from June 14, 2022 to June 20, 2022.

With the theme “From the Diaspora to our Destiny”, the aim was to commemorate African American influence into American culture through a celebration of civics, arts, humanities, music, fashion, food, and culture. We look forward to many years to come. If you want more information on how you or your group can be involved, please contact us at juneteenth@columbusga.org