Celebrations are planned in Traverse City to mark Juneteenth.
Juneteenth marks the day in 1865 that enslaved people in Texas learned they were free. They were the last in the country to hear the news.
“This is my Fourth of July,” said Marshall Collins, a council member of Northern Michigan E-3, which is organizing today’s celebrations. “This is actually when Americans were freed. We still live in some kind of systematic bondage, but this was it. For me, Juneteenth is my freedom day.”
Northern Michigan E-3 formed to address and eliminate racism after the murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis police in 2020.
Northwestern Michigan College is hosting Juneteenth celebration. Speakers, music and food will be available on the campus in Traverse City, starting at 5 p.m.
Marcus Bennett is special assistant to the president of NMC for diversity, equity and inclusion, and associate dean of campus life. He says the day is about celebrating AND remembering.
“You’ve got to remember what happened in the past. Reflect,” Bennett said. “But now how do you go forward in terms of your life, your kids, and the things that you do? We’ve got freedoms. Now what can we do going forward?”
Bennett says he hopes tonight’s event will spark conversations and that it will continue to grow and reach more people in future years.
