Here's a list of the events we know about that are happening across Acadiana to mark Juneteenth 2025.
According to the National Museum of African American History and Culture, Juneteenth is a significant date in American history and the African American experience.
Here's what the museum's website says:
"The name is a play on the date of June 19th, 1865. On that day, the Union Army made its way into Galveston, TX under the leadership of General Gordon Granger, and he announced to the people of Texas that all enslaved African Americans were free. Even though we know that the Emancipation Proclamation freed African Americans in rebelling states (Texas being one of them, from as early as it when the Proclamation went into effect on January 1st, 1863) and we know that the Civil War had ended in April of 1865, it took a while for freedom to make its way to the western most rebelling state. Although there were enslavers who were aware of the implementation of the Emancipation Proclamation, it wasn’t until June 19th, 1865 that it was actually enforced with the Union Army. June 19th freed enslaved people in the rebelling states, it did not free enslaved people throughout the nation."
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Here are the events, arranged by parish:
IBERIA PARISH
Shadows-on-the-Teche is partnering with the Iberia African American Historical Society to host a special Juneteenth performance of Zebulon’s Dream on Thurs., June 19, at 5:30 p.m. at the Shadows Visitor Center (320 E. Main Street, New Iberia). Prior to the performance, Pastor Zachary P. Mitchell, Sr. of Word of Hope World Outreach Church and Chairman of the Shadows Advisory Council, will perform a libation ceremony. This event is FREE to attend, but registration is recommended. Attendees can register online.
Written by acclaimed poet Suzanne Wiltz’s, Zebulon’s Dream is written in the voice of Wiltz’s maternal ancestor, Zebulon Richardson. He was rumored to have been separated from the family during slavery times and never heard from again. In this poetry cycle “Zebulon” is in conversation with the historical markers in Franklin, Louisiana, and, by extension, with the history that has chosen to be commemorated. In addition to Suzanne’s poems, an original mixed media painting commissioned by artist Marla Chirdon, will be displayed and incorporated into the program. Zebulon’s Dream also discusses the mystery of Zebulon’s fate. In 2025, Zebulon’s Dream is made possible through the Individual Artist Career Opportunity Grant, a program of South Arts. Zebulon’s Dream is dedicated to Suzanne Wiltz’s maternal grandmother, Geraldine Jones (1923-2010), known affectionately as Maw, and to the memory of Zebulon Richardson.
LAFAYETTE PARISH
The Southwest Louisiana (SWLA) Juneteenth Committee's mission is to commemorate the ending of slavery in the United States by celebrating the joys of liberty, educating the community about African American heritage, and by promoting positive cultural interaction. Every year, the SWLA Juneteenth Committee hosts various events in honor of the Juneteenth (June 19th) Holiday, including the SWLA Juneteenth Music Festival.
Here's a list of the events the committee has planned:
1. Monday, June 2, 2025 - 9:30am Juneteenth Proclamation, American Legion Post 504, 603 Clifford Rd.
2. Saturday, June 7, 2025 - 10:00am SWLA Juneteenth Walk, Historic Heymann Park, 1500 S. Orange St.
3. Tuesday, June 17, 2025 - 6:00pm - 40 Acres & A Mule, Downtown Convention Center, 124 S. Buchanan St.
4. Wednesday, June 18, 2025 - 6:00pm - Juneteenth Commemoration, Downtown Convention Center, 124 S. Buchanan St.
5. Thursday - June 19th 9:30am - Juneteenth Opening Ceremonies & Flag Raising, City Hall, 735 Jefferson St.
6. Thursday - June 19th 5:30pm - Juneteenth Lyrical Expressions, Spoken Word / Open Mic, Historical Heymann Park, 1500 S. Orange St.
7. Friday - June 20th 6:30-10:30pm - SWLA Juneteenth Banquet & National Juneteenth Scholarship Pageant, Downtown Convention Center, 124 S. Buchanan St.
8. Saturday - June 21th 4:00-8:00pm - SWLA Juneteenth Festival & Stone Soul Picnic, Historical Heymann Park, 1500 S. Orange St.
