DAVENPORT, Iowa — Juneteenth is on Monday and the Quad Cities has numerous events taking place to recognize the federal holiday. It is the oldest known celebration of slavery's ending and while the specific date is June 19, many celebrate and recognize the holiday throughout the month or week surrounding it.
"The observance of June 19 as Black Emancipation Day commemorates freedom and emphasizes education and achievement," according to the National Association of Black Journalists.
In Galveston, Texas on June 19, 1865, federal troops set free the remaining enslaved African Americans. The news of freedom came a little over two years after President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation.
"More than 250,000 African Americans embraced freedom by executive decree in what became known as Juneteenth or Freedom Day," according to the National Museum of African American History and Culture.
Juneteenth was made a federal holiday in 2021.
Here's a list of Juneteenth events happening this weekend in the Quad Cities.
Date & Time: Saturday, June 17 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Location: Lincoln Center, 318 E 7th St., Davenport, Iowa
Cost: Free to attend; Donations can be provided at The Friends of MLK's website.
The Friends of MLK will be hosting their annual Quad City Juneteenth Festival this weekend. Festivities include food, vendors, local and national history information, resource booths and live entertainment.
News 8's Charles Hart spoke with festival organizer Tracy Singleton. She said the event has only grown bigger every year.
"Offering these cultural pieces, these curated events that celebrate our history, our culture," Singleton said. "Not only celebrate, but to walk away knowing something they didn't know when they came."
Date & Time: Friday & Saturday, June 16-17; Schedule of events can be found here
Location: Multiple locations; Detailed here
Cost: Free; Tickets required
The inaugural Pulling Focus African American Film Festival seeks to amplify Black voices and "celebrate the power of Black cinema," according to a press release from the festival organizers. The festival spans two days, beginning Friday afternoon and all day Saturday.
Founded by Gaye Shannon Burnett and hosted by the Azubuike African American Council for the Arts, the festival will showcase films made by Black filmmakers that represent "the Black experience's diversity and complexity." Types of films at the festival include narrative films, documentaries, animations and shorts.
The festival will be held during the Juneteenth holiday annually in the Quad Cities. It is free and open to the public. Tickets and more information can be found on the festival's website.
Date & Time: Sunday, June 18 @ 6 p.m.
Location: Schwiebert Riverfront Park, 101 17th St., Rock Island, IL
Cost: $5 for tickets; Free for kids 12 and under
Presented by the Lincoln Center and Common Chord, this event will highlight local Black musicians in the Quad Cities. Artists include the Jerry Johnson choir, CJ Parker, 10 Of Soul, DJ Captain and Aubrey Barnes & Young Lions Roar.
Food and drinks will be available for purchase from Bragg BBQ, Rock Island Parks and Bent River Brewing. It is recommended to bring a chair or blanket to the event.
Date & Time: Monday, June 19 @ 10 a.m.
Location: Rock Island National Cemetery
Cost: Free
In observance of Juneteenth, the Quad Cities community is invited to honor the 108th United States Colored Troops Infantry. According to the event page, the regiment had 980 men, most of whom were formerly enslaved in Kentucky.
During the Civil War, they guarded Confederate prisoners of war at the Rock Island Prison Barracks, which is now the site of the Rock Island Arsenal. 50 men in the regiment died throughout the eight months they were here and are buried at Rock Island National Cemetery.
Keep up to date on what's happening in the Quad Cities through WQAD News 8's YouTube channel