A group of neighbors have put together an event to celebrate Juneteenth — and you don’t have to leave your front yard if you don’t want to. The holiday commemorates the ending of slavery in the United States when on June 19, 1865, enslaved African Americans in Texas were finally told they had been freed, more than two years after Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation. While it’s not yet a national holiday, Virginia’s Governor Northam is looking to make it a state holiday. Let’s see if Congress will act…

The “DC Juneteenth Front Yard Festival for Justice!” event kicks off on June 19th from 6-10pm.

BJ McDuffie, one of the organizers, wrote on the Facebook event page, “We want everyone to celebrate Juneteenth in their own way from their own block/street/yard/porch. But we want everyone no matter where they are, to be celebrating at the same time, together but apart. If your block wants to party all together, great! If you would prefer to stay distanced but social (COVID is still here y'all), great! We just want everyone to observe Juneteenth and all that it stands for, as a community!”

The event is also co-hosted by Laura Rusu, Aubri O'Connor, and Mark Kresowik.

The event timeline:

6:00 PM - 7:00 PM: Juneteenth Front Yard Festival for Justice begins!
7:00 PM - 7:09 PM: Make some noise! Bang on pots and pans for our Cacerolazo to protest police violence!
7:09 PM - 7:10 PM: Minute of Silence in memory of George Floyd
7:10 PM - 10:00 PM: Juneteenth Front Yard Festival For Justice Resumes!
10:00 PM: Official end of the Juneteenth Front Yard Festival for Justice (neighbors can continue as they like)

Facebook Event description:

This year Juneteenth feels a little different in DC.

We have been social distancing to stay safe from COVID19, and many of us are now protesting for racial and social justice, and against police brutality.

To reconcile our desire to celebrate Juneteenth and the emancipation of all slaves after the Civil War, with a need to make sure our neighbors stay safe from COVID19, our block in Petworth decided to hold a Yard/Porch/Balcony "Festival for Justice." Then... we decided that we should invite our neighboring blocks… and then... we thought we should spread the word to everyone in DC - so all can join us (apart) - from their front yards/porches/balconies!

So on Friday, June 19th from 6-10pm, we encourage everyone to gather together--apart from their own neighborhoods, and their own yards, to commemorate Juneteenth!

There is no set program other than a suggested banging of pots from 7:00-7:09pm followed by a minute of silence for George Floyd from 7:09-7:10pm.

Our block will be socially distanced but cooking out on our front lawns, listening to music, dancing, conversing, making lawn signs, and potentially marching on our sidewalks to affirm that Black Lives Matter.

We are open to all ideas and all in DC are welcome to celebrate as they see fit from their own blocks. We just want to make sure that Juneteenth is celebrated widely this year, even though the annual festival and parade are cancelled.

You can find articles with more info on Juneteenth are posted on the Event Page as resources.

Please share with your neighbors!