Loudoun celebrates Juneteenth

By Laura Longley

In the age of Twitter and TikTok, it’s hard to imagine news taking two years and eight months to reach the African Americans of Galveston whose lives literally depended on it. Not until Union General Gordon Grainer arrived in that Texas town did the Black residents learn they were no longer enslaved. He formally announced the emancipation from the balcony of the former Confederate Army headquarters. 

Why the news took so long to reach Galveston remains a mystery. One theory is that the messenger carrying the news was killed before he got to Texas. Another—more likely—one is that slave owners withheld the information from their “property.”

Today, 157 years later, we commemorate and celebrate June 19th and its meaning in American history. As Tariro Mzezewa wrote in the New York Times, “Juneteenth, or Freedom Day, is rooted in emancipation for the enslaved, so it involves both the celebration of joy and the commemoration of pain. African Americans, beginning in Texas, have celebrated the holiday since 1866.”

Here in Loudoun, we mark the new federal holiday with marches, parades, and community celebrations.

On June 20, from 9 to 11 a.m., the Loudoun NAACP will hold its annual Juneteenth March and Celebration. The march begins at Loudoun County Courthouse and ends on Harrison St. SE at the Orion Anderson Memorial. The memorial marks the 1889 lynching of 14-year-old Orion Anderson from Hamilton. He was accused of scaring a White girl.

On June 18, from noon to 6 p.m. at Leesburg’s Ida Lee Park, the “Burg” Family Reunion Club will host its second annual Juneteenth Celebration 2022.

Comprised of folks with mutual connections to Leesburg—the “Burg,” for short—aims to preserve the memories of Black descendants from Leesburg and support local Black American senior citizens, youth, and families. Additionally, the club has a focus on local Black American fathers by providing programs that will benefit young Black American males.

The celebration features the Chuck Brown Band and keynote speaker and Loudoun County Chairwoman Phyllis J. Randall (D-At Large).

Other musicians include DJ Mr. Potter, Mr. L-BO, The Rise Band, Howard Harmonizers, Bryan Fox and Friends. There will be food trucks—Big Kyle BBQ, 2 Cousins Cookin, Latimore’s Funnel Cakes, What the Heck Barbecue, Pakos Fresh Mex, Hershey’s Ice Cream—and face painting, tug of war, balloon toss, and potato sack races for the kids.

This a Rain or Shine Event. In the event of a passing shower, organizers ask that attendees return to their cars to wait out the rain as the Recreation Center may not be used. 

Admission to the Burg Juneteenth event is $10 for ages 12 to adult. Children 11 years and younger are admitted for free. Gates open at 11:15 a.m.

For news of other events in Loudoun, check the websites of the towns and community organizations.