How to celebrate Juneteenth in Williamson County? Here's a list of events

Chris Gadd, Nashville Tennessean
Updated ·2 min read
6

A myriad of Juneteenth events are coming to Franklin.

Franklin Justice and Equity Coalition’s Juneteenth festival is returning this week to the city’s public square and a few days later, the African American Heritage Society of Williamson County will also hold its longtime Juneteenth celebration at the McLemore House Museum.

If you are looking to celebrate, honor and learn about the holiday in Williamson County, here's some information to know:

Patrons and organizers chat together after a musical act during the Juneteenth Celebration at Public Square in Franklin, Tenn., on Saturday, June 19, 2021.
Patrons and organizers chat together after a musical act during the Juneteenth Celebration at Public Square in Franklin, Tenn., on Saturday, June 19, 2021.

What is Juneteenth?

Juneteenth commemorates June 19, 1865, the day federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas and ultimately freed more than 250,000 enslaved people in the state who had remained in bondage despite Abraham Lincoln's signing of the Emancipation Proclamation more than two years earlier.

In 2021, the city of Franklin passed a resolution declaring the Saturday closest to June 19 as Juneteenth.

Last year, Juneteenth became a federal holiday.

Franklin Justice & Equity Coalition's week of events

The Franklin Justice and Equity Coalition, formed in 2020, is hosting five events to celebrate Juneteenth:

June 16: “The Juneteenth Sneaker Gala,” Liberty Hall at the Franklin Factory, 6-10 p.m.

June 17: “4th Annual Juneteenth Festival, Downtown Franklin Public Square, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

June 24: “Juneteenth Family Reunion Block Party,” Jim Warren Park, main pavilion, Noon-6 p.m.

June 25: “Emancipation Worship Service,” Franklin First United Methodist Church, 8-9:30 a.m.

More information about all the events can be found online at fjecwilco.org.

Reenactors from the 13th Regiment U.S. Colored Troops stand together at the mic during the Juneteenth Celebration at Pinkerton Park in Franklin, Tenn., on Saturday, June 19, 2021. African American Heritage Society President Alma McLemore (center) makes announcements.
Reenactors from the 13th Regiment U.S. Colored Troops stand together at the mic during the Juneteenth Celebration at Pinkerton Park in Franklin, Tenn., on Saturday, June 19, 2021. African American Heritage Society President Alma McLemore (center) makes announcements.

African American Heritage Society tradition

On Monday, June 19 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., the organization invites the public to a celebration at the historic house in remembrance of the holiday. The group's board members are planning free tours of the newly renovated home and hope to bring back other features of Juneteenth traditions from past years.

The McLemore House was built by Harvey McLemore, a man who, once freed from enslavement, became the first to build homes in the Hard Bargain subdivision ― Franklin's first Black middle class neighborhood.

"What better place to have a celebration of freedom than the home built by a freeman ," African American Heritage Society President Alma McLemore stated previously to The Tennessean. Follow the AAHS on Facebook or visit the its website at www.aahswc.org for more details.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Events to celebrate Juneteenth in Franklin.