Sioux Falls prepares to celebrate Juneteenth with weekend events starting June 17
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
Sioux Falls prepares to celebrate its first Juneteenth as both an official federal and state holiday later this month.
While South Dakota was the last state to formally commemorate Juneteenth, it's now one of 25 states that recognize the date as a legal state holiday. Gov. Kristi Noem also issued proclamations in 2020 and 2021 observing the date.
“That was because a few of us, we testified for so many years and advocated so that it would be a federal and state holiday,” said Juneteenth Sioux Falls Board of Directors member and Juneteenth 2022 Grand Marshal Harriet Yocum.
Juneteenth, also known as Freedom Day or Emancipation Day, commemorates the end of slavery in the United States with the arrival of Union General Gordon Granger to Texas in June 1865 to announce that all slaves in Texas were free two years after the Emancipation Proclamation.
When the Emancipation Proclamation occurred, South Dakota was a part of the Nebraska Territory.
Although South Dakota was only admitted to the Union after the Emancipation Proclamation and Granger’s arrival to Texas, these events still affected the territory, and the organizers of Juneteenth Sioux Falls are proud they managed to help make the event into a state and federal holiday.
“We are very proud of these efforts,” said Yocum. “It took a long time, but we never stopped.”
More: Juneteenth now an official South Dakota holiday as Gov. Kristi Noem signs HB 1025
Although Juneteenth was made into an official holiday, she continued, the organizers understand that not everyone will have the day off, so a celebration is planned for Saturday, June 17, making it more accessible for all community members to attend.
Sioux Falls started to celebrate the Juneteenth Festival in 2007 with Friendship Baptist Church. In 2017, said Yocum, the reins were handed to a new organization – Establishing Sustainable Connections (ESC).
In past years, around 3,000 people have attended the event. This year the organizers will strive for about 5,000 or more.
“Every year our goal is to have a bigger and better event and this year is no different!” said Yocum.
The celebration will kick off at 11 a.m. on June 17 with the Freedom Walk around the 8th and Railroad Center to recognize the ongoing struggles for racial justice in the U.S. and commit to working toward a more inclusive and equitable society, said Yocum.
Sioux Falls Mayor Paul TenHaken will read a proclamation at the opening ceremony after the walk, and the students of the ACE Academy and Grammy-nominated Pierce Freelon will perform “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” known as the Black national anthem.
Speeches and music are planned for after the opening ceremony. The speeches will focus on this year's theme, which is “The Year of the Rising Sun” selected for its suggestions of the dawn of a new era and echoes of Maya Angelou’s poetry volume “Still I Rise.”
More: Sioux Falls Juneteenth
The speakers for the event will include the keynote speaker Jen Jacobs, head volleyball coach at Augustana University, Audrey Bright, Think 3D Leaders of Tomorrow community coordinator and Suleyman Dibba, co-founder of Our Growth Project non-profit.
The event is free and open to the public. Attendees are encouraged to bring lawn chairs and blankets for seating.
The celebration will also include a variety of vendors, fashion show, kids activities, entertainment and education opportunities from Levitt at The Falls, Boys & Girls Club, MOMS Demand, Transformation Project, Teammates Mentoring of Sioux Falls, Augustana University, and more.
This year Juneteenth Sioux Falls also sponsors one of the free concerts at Levitt at the Falls, which is on Friday, June 16, by Nnenna and Pierce Freelon.
“We believe that this year's Juneteenth Celebration will be our best one yet!” said Yocum.
Clarification: This story has been updated to better clarify when South Dakota officially commemorated Juneteenth and correctly spell Harriet Yocum's name.
This article originally appeared on Sioux Falls Argus Leader: Sioux Falls prepares to celebrate Juneteenth
