This Friday, June 19, communities across the country will celebrate Emancipation Day, more commonly known as Juneteenth. On this day in 1865, Union soldiers landed in Galveston, TX and brought the news of the Emancipation Proclamation to Black enslaved people in Texas, some of the last people to be freed before the passage of the 13th Amendment. You can read more about the history of this day here and read about why socialists call for Juneteenth to be a national holiday.

In the wake of the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and so many others at the hands of the police and the subsequent uprising demanding an end to anti-Black and Brown policies and growing demands to abolish the police, this year’s celebrations and actions take on added importance. At the national level, DSA has endorsed the Weekend of Action by SixNineteen, a network of Black-led organizations.

In this spirit, the Steering Committee of Denver DSA strongly encourages you to attend or participate in some of the many Juneteenth events happening across the metro area this weekend, particularly the Freedom Day Party on Saturday, 6/20. We have compiled a list here, which is being updated constantly. Some important events include:

DENVER

• Juneteenth Silent March and Ride, Friday 6/19 @ 9:00 AM – 12:30 – Facebook link
• Juneteenth Rally Celebration, Friday 6/19 @ 6:30 PM – More info
• Juneteenth Freedom Day Party, Saturday 6/20 @ 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM – Facebook link
          Free COVID testing from 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM followed by live music
          Hosted by Black Lives Matter 5280

VIRTUAL

• The Fire This Time: We Can’t Breathe, Friday 6/19 @ 5:00PM MDT (RSVP)
  Hosted by DSA Afrosocialists and Socialists of Color Caucus
• Sixteen Thousand Dollars: Screening & Discussion, Sunday 6/21 @ 1:00 MST
  Hosted by DSA Afrosocialists and Socialists of Color Caucus (RSVP)

This is perhaps the most meaningful Juneteenth weekend of our generation. Please take time this weekend to attend one or more of these events and continue the struggle to protect and uplift Black Lives, Black Trans Lives, Black Indigeonous Lives, and Black Immigrant Lives. None of us are free until we are all free!