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Atlanta History Center to celebrate Juneteenth with monthlong virtual calendar

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Atlanta History Center to celebrate Juneteenth with monthlong virtual calendar

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Atlanta, GA — During the month of June 2021, Atlanta History Center is excited to present the 2021 Juneteenth celebration. A press release says this year’s celebration will focus on ways to honor and support African-American cultural traditions related to Juneteenth within communities in Atlanta. Virtual activities will be supplemented by a month-long campaign aimed at highlighting and honoring Black innovation, creativity, and activism.

Since 2013, Atlanta History Center has hosted an annual Juneteenth celebration. The June 19th holiday commemorates the date in 1865 when the last enslaved African Americans were pronounced free people after the arrival of U.S. troops in Galveston Bay, Texas, a full two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation and two months after the Confederacy’s defeat.

This year’s celebration will be virtual in light of ongoing uncertainty surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic. Nonetheless, guests will have the opportunity to engage in virtual events, get out and explore Atlanta with guided resources, and learn about Black history before Juneteenth and in the decades since.

This Juneteenth program is also being presented as a part of the nationwide initiative, The Civic Season. The initiative is coordinated by Made By Us, an unparalleled collaboration between over 100 of the nation’s leading history museums and civic institutions, and Civics Unplugged, a nonprofit social enterprise led by Gen Z’ers. Atlanta History Center is part of the Steering Committee of Made By Us.

The inaugural Civic Season will be the start of an annual tradition held between Juneteenth and the Fourth of July that mobilizes Americans to engage with our past, take action in the present, and shape the future through activations in our neighborhoods, cities and social spaces.

Some of the events, content, and experiences presented during 2021 Juneteenth will include:

Virtual Author Talk and Panel Discussion

Annette Gordon-Reed in conversation with Virginia Prescott, On Juneteenth

June 7th, 7 PM, Zoom Webinar

– Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Annette Gordon-Reed discusses her newest book, a collection of essays and meditation on the past, present, and future of the Juneteenth holiday. Event is free to attend and presented via Zoom Webinar. Book purchase appreciated.

Steve Fiffer, Al Vivian, and Ambassador Andrew Young in conversation with Ernie Suggs, discussing C.T. Vivian memoir, It’s In the Action

June 21st, 6:30 PM, Zoom Webinar

– This powerful panel will explore the life and legacy of C.T. Vivian through a discussion of his posthumously published memoir, co-written with Steve Fiffer. Event is free to attend and presented via Zoom Webinar. Book purchase appreciated.

Virtual and Digital Content

– Feature story on the Atlanta Black Crackers, the professional Negro League baseball team that played in Atlanta prior to the integration of baseball.

– The traveling exhibition Black Citizenship in the Age of Jim Crow is available virtually and features information about the struggle for emancipation and, following that, full citizenship rights for African Americans.

Community-based Activities

– A curated list of local Atlanta Black-owned businesses to support during the month of June.

– A highlight of the Bush Mountain community, adapted from an on-campus gallery installation and driving tour. We’ll showcase this content as part of the historic exploration of the African-American community.

Atlanta History Center’s Buckhead campus is also open during normal business hours for exploration, though no specialized in-person programming will take place. COVID-19 policies are in place. Atlanta History Center is open Tuesday–Sunday from 9am–4pm; historic houses open at 11am.

For more information on the 2021 Juneteenth celebration, please visit Atlanta History Center’s website. Press interviews and images available upon request. Please contact Claire Haley at [email protected] or (404) 814-4219.

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