music
We provide local entertainers an opportunity to showcase their music. We welcome all sorts of music entertainment in celebration of the African American Heritage. If you would like to recommend yourself or a entertainer please contact us.
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family event
We are excited to host our Juneteenth African American Heritage Celebrations. Each year we expand and grow with new sponsors, vendors, entertainment and attendees from the community. We do our absolute best to provide enough seating and covered areas, but we do encourage you to bring your own lawn chair.
MAKE A DONATION : African American Contributions Maryland Juneteenth UCAC
vendors, Advertisers & Sponsors
This is event is possible due to the continuous support from our local businesses and organizations. Please consider supporting this event by vending, taking out an ad in your booklet or making a in-kind donation.
WHAT is juneteenth?
"Juneteenth is a day of reflection, a day of renewal, a pride-filled day. It is a moment in time taken to appreciate the African American experience. It is inclusive of all races, ethnicities and nationalities as nothing is more comforting than the hand of a friend."
- www.Juneteenth.com
Juneteenth originated as a celebration of the ending of slavery in Texas. On June 19, 1865, Major General Gordon Granger and 1,800 troops of the Union Army arrived in Galveston, Texas, and announced that the Civil War had ended and all slaves were free. Even though President Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation had gone into effect on January 1, 1863, freeing all slaves in those states in rebellion against the United States, for various reasons the decree had not yet taken effect in Texas.
The proclamation issued by General Granger - General Orders, Number3 - announced:
The people of Texas are informed that in accordance with a Proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free. This involves an absolute equality of rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves, and the connection heretofore existing between them becomes that between employer and free laborer ...
That evening, thousands of people in Galveston celebrated their freedom with dancing, singing, and feasting. In the years that followed, other southern cities also began to organized Juneteenth festivities. It was not until January 1, 1980, however, that Juneteenth was designated an official state holiday in Texas. Through the efforts of African American state legislator Al Edwards, Juneteenth became the first emancipation celebration granted official state recognition.
Today, Juneteenth is celebrated not only in Texas, but in cities throughout the United States. Typical Juneteenth activities include picnics, parades, barbecues, ball games, and family reunions. It is also a time for people to recount the events of the past. Today Juneteenth has taken on a more national perspective, celebrating African American freedom while encouraging self-development and respect for all cultures.
"Let us discard all this quibbling about this man and the other man, this race and that race and the other race being inferior, and therefore they must be placed in an inferior position. Let us discard all these things, and unite as one people throughout this land, until we shall once more stand up declaring that all men are created equal."
- Abraham Lincoln, (July 10, 1858)
- www.Juneteenth.com
Juneteenth originated as a celebration of the ending of slavery in Texas. On June 19, 1865, Major General Gordon Granger and 1,800 troops of the Union Army arrived in Galveston, Texas, and announced that the Civil War had ended and all slaves were free. Even though President Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation had gone into effect on January 1, 1863, freeing all slaves in those states in rebellion against the United States, for various reasons the decree had not yet taken effect in Texas.
The proclamation issued by General Granger - General Orders, Number3 - announced:
The people of Texas are informed that in accordance with a Proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free. This involves an absolute equality of rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves, and the connection heretofore existing between them becomes that between employer and free laborer ...
That evening, thousands of people in Galveston celebrated their freedom with dancing, singing, and feasting. In the years that followed, other southern cities also began to organized Juneteenth festivities. It was not until January 1, 1980, however, that Juneteenth was designated an official state holiday in Texas. Through the efforts of African American state legislator Al Edwards, Juneteenth became the first emancipation celebration granted official state recognition.
Today, Juneteenth is celebrated not only in Texas, but in cities throughout the United States. Typical Juneteenth activities include picnics, parades, barbecues, ball games, and family reunions. It is also a time for people to recount the events of the past. Today Juneteenth has taken on a more national perspective, celebrating African American freedom while encouraging self-development and respect for all cultures.
"Let us discard all this quibbling about this man and the other man, this race and that race and the other race being inferior, and therefore they must be placed in an inferior position. Let us discard all these things, and unite as one people throughout this land, until we shall once more stand up declaring that all men are created equal."
- Abraham Lincoln, (July 10, 1858)
Select a photo below to enlarge and view.
Unified Committee for Afro-American Contributions
UCAC
No vendors or sponsor book this year (2021).
However, if you would like to support our mission submit your donation
by check to: Unified Committee for Afro-American Contributions
PO Box 1457 Lexington Park MD 20653
Schedule of Events
2021 Juneteenth Festival
June 19, 2021
Free Family Event
12 Noon - Special Presentation Via the UCAC Website
1pm - African American History Tours (USCT Monument, Drayden School House, African American Monument and the Interpretative Center, social distancing enforced)
4-6pm - Live Jazz Concert at Lancaster Park (Bring your own chairs and canopies, follow state & CDC guidance. Social distancing will be enforced)