Juneteenth 2023 

Juneteenth, also known as Juneteenth Independence Day or Freedom Day, is an annual holiday celebrated on June 19th in the United States. It commemorates the emancipation of enslaved Black Americans and recognizes the day when Union General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas, in 1865, and announced the end of slavery, more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation had been issued.

While Athens, Ohio may not have a direct historical connection to Juneteenth, the city and its surrounding region played a significant role in the Underground Railroad due to its geographic location and the presence of abolitionist activists and institutions in the area. Ohio was a free state during the time of the Underground Railroad, which meant that slavery was illegal within its borders. This made Ohio an attractive destination for escaped slaves, and Athens served as a stop on their journey to freedom. In the early 1900s, Athens and Southeast Ohio were also renown for its Black-owned businesses (e.g. Berry Hotel) and higher learning institutions (e.g. Albany Enterprise Academy).

Community-based NGOs and Ohio University have in recent years actively promoted and educated locals of Juneteenth and the region’s early legacy as a thriving hub for newly liberated and free born Black Americans. For Juneteenth 2023, Ohio University partnered with Invisible Ground (a history/storytelling podcast and Immersive Historic Markers project by alumnus Brian Koscho) and Mount Zion Black Cultural Center (formerly known as Mount Zion Baptist Church Preservation Society) to conduct a Black History of Athens walking tour. This is followed with a festival at the university’s College Green where food and merchandise vendors gathered and live choral music performed by former members of Ohio University Gospel Voices of Faith.

The following photos are part of my ongoing long-term documentation of the efforts of Mount Zion Black Cultural Center’s outreach and education efforts on the preservation of Black history in Southeast Ohio.

Black History tour of Athens to commemorate Juneteenth 2023

Scenes from Juneteenth Festival on College Green