What Juneteenth Means to Milwaukee’s African Americans

By 1619, slavery was legal in the British colonies that would one day become the United States. When the U.S. Constitution was ratified in 1789, slavery endured mainly, though not exclusively, to the southern states. Then came January 1, 1863, and Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation, which freed all enslaved people. Well, almost all.

Texas, the westernmost Confederate state, had not yet let go. On June 19, 1865, Union Major Gen. Gordon Granger rode into Galveston and delivered the news. Enslaved African Americans were free. Federal troops arrived to make it so. That day was forever after called Juneteenth, June and nineteenth fused into a single word that carries the weight of a people's long-delayed liberation.

More than a century later, Milwaukee chose to honor that legacy with a street festival. In 1972, organizers at Northcott Neighborhood House blocked off a handful of Harambee neighborhood streets and threw a celebration on June 19. Their modest goal was to revitalize and reconnect Milwaukee's African American community. What began as a neighborhood gathering grew into something far more profound.

In June 2021, the U.S. Congress voted with bipartisan speed to make Juneteenth the 12th official federal holiday. President Joe Biden signed it into law on June 17, 2021. A grassroots tradition had become national recognition.

In recent years, Northcott Neighborhood House has anchored what has grown into the grandest celebration of Black independence in the nation, a massive, joyful gathering each June 19th that draws crowds and reminds us of how far the promise of America has traveled.

I recently asked Mayor Cavalier Johnson what Juneteenth 2026 means to him. He didn't hesitate. “Juneteenth reminds me of the promise of America,” he said, recalling a visit to Monticello, Thomas Jefferson's Virginia home. He spoke Jefferson’s famous words from the Declaration of Independence. “‘We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.’” Then, Mayor Johnson added a phrase, "Juneteenth extended that document."

Over a period of weeks, I asked other Black Milwaukee residents that same question: What does Juneteenth 2026 mean to you?

Here are their responses:

George Akpan Jr.

Co-chair of the Juneteenth Jubilee Parade

This year's theme—Honoring the Past and Empowering the Future—really captures what Juneteenth represents. It recognizes the history and sacrifices that brought us here while also creating opportunities and inspiration for the next generation.

Niki Purvis 

President and CEO, African American Chamber of Commerce of Wisconsin

Juneteenth reminds me that history is a good teacher and when it attempts to repeat itself and is falsely interpreted, factual events clarify the narrative. Juneteenth is a daily reminder that we must be unapologetically bold and unwavering in our continued fight for liberation. 

Terron Edwards 

President, Fathers Making Progress

Juneteenth means everything to me. There was a time when Blacks could not vote or own land or go to school. All because of the color of our skin. We are now finally recognized as people. 

Natasha Broxton 

Owner, Select Auto Parts

Juneteenth reminds me that freedom has to be delivered, not just declared. For me that means building real pathways for Black ownership and generational wealth in industries like automotive where we have historically been overlooked.

Vaun Mayes   

Community Activist & Violence Prevention Specialist

Juneteenth means more now that ever, in an era where our history and accomplishments are being censured and erased, that we need every opportunity we can get to unify, educate and empower one another. 

Greg Wesley

President and CEO, Greater Milwaukee Foundation

Juneteenth invites us to reflect on the meaning of freedom, the inherent dignity and independence that every person deserves. For 55 years, Milwaukee has honored this day with a celebration rooted in culture, community, and joy. At this moment in time, coming together is not only meaningful, it is essential as we continue to push toward a more just and inclusive society.

Michael Harris

Chief of Staff and Interim Deputy Superintendent of Operations for Milwaukee Public Schools

For me, Juneteenth 2026 is a reminder that freedom must be continually protected and expanded for all people. It represents the strength, resilience, and collective responsibility to keep dismantling injustice and advancing equity across our country.

Jerel Ballard

Founder, Milwaukee's Finest Scholarship Foundation

Juneteenth is a reminder that freedom and progress are always worth celebrating, but also a day to acknowledge that the work of building equity and opportunity in our communities continues even today. This is a day to honor not only Black history, culture, and resilience, but also the ancestors who fought to move our country forward.

David Crowley

Milwaukee County Executive

Now more than ever, it’s important for Wisconsinites to come together in recognition and celebration of Juneteenth. This day serves not only as a time to reflect on our nation’s history, but also as an opportunity to recommit to building the future our communities deserve. At a time when many, especially communities of color, continue to face uncertainty, Juneteenth reminds us that the pursuit of freedom, justice, and equity is far from over. 

Anita Robertson 

Owner Next Generation Youth and Family Center  

It is another year of celebrating our culture when our ancestors worked the land and did not get paid.

James Causey 

Columnist, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

My favorite holiday is Juneteenth because it represents something much deeper than just a day off work or a family gathering. Juneteenth is about liberation from slavery and the ongoing pursuit of equality—values that everyone in this country should celebrate and advocate for. This holiday also honors resilience, as enslaved Africans and their descendants overcame unimaginable hardships while preserving their families, cultures, faiths, and communities. We all grew up learning about the Fourth of July, but Juneteenth helps to complete the story of America’s struggle to uphold its ideals.

Dawn Barnett 

Co-Executive Director, Running Rebels

Juneteenth Day 2026 is an opportunity to focus on what connects and unites us through food, music, fellowship, and an appreciation of history and culture, especially in a time when attention often centers on our differences and what separates us.

Bridget Whitaker 

Executive Director, Safe & Sound

Milwaukee’s Juneteenth celebrations have been a beautiful reflection of our history, our joy and our collective community. The celebration reminds me of not only how far we’ve come but the responsibility we have to continue building a future that represents love and unity.

Lafayette Crump

Milwaukee Commissioner of City Development

Juneteenth is an opportunity to come together with community to remember what we’ve overcome and to celebrate where we are today, using those reflections to fuel a drive toward an even brighter future. Juneteenth reminds me that things can always be better, but they can also be worse, and what generally makes the difference are the choices that individuals and collectives make for themselves or impose on others.

Antonia Drew Norton 

Executive Director, Asha Family Services

Juneteenth means honoring the resilience, freedom, and contributions of Black people while recognizing that the fight for equity continues. As an African American teen who worked Milwaukee’s first Juneteenth festival, I understand how deeply this celebration is connected to both history and hope in our community. Juneteenth means both remembrance and responsibility. The remembrance of the day enslaved African Americans in Texas finally learned they were free, and the responsibility for continuing the work of justice and equity that freedom still demands. 

Thomas Gibson

University of Wisconsin Milwaukee Chancellor

Juneteenth is an important day of joy and reflection and it’s a reminder of our nation’s history that celebrates the abolition of slavery and honors the resilience and progress of Black communities. It also recognizes that the work for justice and equity is still unfinished, while inspiring hope through opportunities for education and community engagement like those at UWM. 

Della Wells 

Acclaimed Folk Artist

This Juneteenth, due to today’s climate, serves as a powerful reminder there is still so much unfinished work needing to be done. We cannot assume that our freedom will always be there. 

Robert Biko Baker 

General Manager, Milwaukee Black Media Trust

It’s the 55th year of Juneteenth. It’s reasserting what is magical in Milwaukee because the festival brings everybody together. It’s a time to reinvigorate and reimagine. 

Brenda Cassellius 

Milwaukee Public Schools Superintendent

Juneteenth reminds me how the courageous actions of those before us have endured time, cultures, geographies, and even politics to shape the lives and futures of our young people today. Juneteenth still reverberates more than 160 years later in our schools and our communities where we carry forward the memory of that reckoning, the hope for a better future democracy and the responsibility to ensure it. We are morally compelled to teach it, honor it, and refuse to let it fade.

Evelyn Patricia Terry 

Nationally known Milwaukee artist

Portending gains to come, President Joe Biden signed Juneteenth as a Federal holiday in 2021. This annual celebration very importantly acknowledges emancipation from the brutality of forced enslaved Africans into labor in the 16th to the 19th centuries. American abolitionists and African descendants eventually coalesced energy toward creating the only race-based American federal holiday.

Shenora Staten-Jordan 

Milwaukee Messmer High School Principal

Juneteenth is history, resilience, beauty, sacrifice, Black joy, and excellence. While we celebrate all that we've overcome, we are also reminded of the next, the new, and the evolution of a generation filled with capacity, wonder, and spirit to lead, serve and love. 

Debra Gillispie 

Anti-violence activist 

Juneteenth 2026 represents both remembrance and responsibility, honoring the resilience of those who fought for freedom while recognizing that true justice and safety are still not equally experienced in many communities today. It is also a reminder that healing, unity, and community action remain essential as we continue working toward a more just future for the next generation.

Chris Miskel 

President & CEO Versiti Blood Center of Wisconsin

As we honor Juneteenth, Versiti is proud to join the Milwaukee community in reflection, celebration and commitment. This day reminds us of the enduring importance of hope and resilience. Together, we celebrate progress, recognize the work still ahead and recommit to building a future where every voice is valued and every person has the opportunity to thrive.

Jeffrey B Norman 

Chief of the Milwaukee Police Department

2026 is a milestone year for Juneteenth - celebrated in spaces for 160 years and federally recognized now for 5 years. Juneteenth has significance for me every year, a special day of bittersweet remembrance, celebration and reflection. Juneteenth is a day to remember the strength and perseverance of those who endured the horrors of our collective past, a day to celebrate how far we have come, and a day to reflect on the work that still needs to be done. 

David Bowen 

Executive Director Wisconsin Voices

Juneteenth 2026 is a time to reflect on the ongoing pursuit of freedom, opportunity, and equality, while recognizing the progress made and the work that remains. It is also a call to use our voices and actions to help build a more inclusive democracy that honors the legacy and contributions of Black Americans and Wisconsinites.

Shannon Ross   

CEO of The Community, helping rehabilitate the formerly incarcerated

Juneteenth 2026 is a reminder that we are both so far from the ugly history that is baked into the founding of our country but still so very and intimately close to it at the same time. Juneteenth exists as a reminder of what can be overcome and changed, as well as a mirror reflecting who we are and can become if we do not remain vigilant towards the forces of dehumanization and separation that have always been the bedrock of where we fail and cause ourselves and each other harm as a species. 

Karin Tyler   

Director, City of Milwaukee Department of Community Wellness & Safety

Juneteenth represents resilience, hope, freedom, and the strength of a community that continues to push forward even through pain and adversity. It is a reminder that when we truly come together as a city to support one another, invest in our neighborhoods, and uplift our young people, we can create a safer, stronger Milwaukee where every family has the opportunity to thrive.

Brad Facts

3Ps The Brand Apparel Designer

Juneteenth is the celebration of a time that presented nominal freedom for my people while acknowledging the importance of the contributions that were made by us to a nation that never loved us.

Tory Lowe

WTMJ Radio Milwaukee Reporter, and community activist

Juneteenth is both a celebration and a commitment. It’s freedom made tangible, the day in 1865 when news of emancipation finally reached Galveston, Texas. It’s the food, the music, the red that fills the streets, all honoring the resilience and brilliance of our ancestors. It’s also a reminder. We reflect on how far we’ve come, and we’re honest about the road still ahead, in our neighborhoods, our schools, our justice systems, our futures. We carry their strength as we build.

Cory Nettles 

Managing Director, Generation Growth Capital Fund

Juneteenth remains a reminder to me of freedom delayed, and freedom denied. This year is especially poignant for me as the country celebrates its 250th year of "independence" without a whiff of irony or hypocrisy regarding those repressed and enslaved since our independence. 

Cheryl Blue 

Executive Director, 30th Street Industrial Corridor Corp

Juneteenth represents Black Pride. Ending chattel slavery was our collective goal for centuries. What an amazing victory!

Mandela Barnes 

Former Lt. Governor and candidate for Governor in 2026

Juneteenth is a reminder that America’s promise is still not a reality for far too many Wisconsin families. This Juneteenth, we must recommit to the fight for ensuring equal rights and opportunities for all Wisconsinites and keep the faith that better is possible.

Kristen Hardy  

Assistant General Counsel & Assistant Secretary at Northwestern Mutual

Juneteenth, to me, is about community, celebration, and reflection. It is a time to honor the past while coming together during a pivotal time in the present.

Larresa Taylor 

Ninth Aldermanic Representative, city of Milwaukee

When I think of Juneteenth, I get excited. To me, it is more than a celebration. It is a cultural experience. It is a time when people of African American heritage can unapologetically express themselves and celebrate who they are. These expressions come in many forms: food, music, dance, clothing, art, and storytelling. They are artifacts of our culture that help share meaning, bridge generations, and strengthen connections within our community.

Nicole Goins  

MKE Juneteenth Parade Co Chair and founder, Pretty Girls are Educated

For me, Juneteenth represents a powerful time for our community to come together in love, peace, empowerment, and unity while honoring the rich history, resilience, and contributions of Black Americans. It is more than a celebration for one city. It is also a tradition that brings people from near and far together, strengthening connections across generations and communities. As the home of one of the nation's longest-running and largest Juneteenth celebrations, we proudly continue a legacy that inspires, educates, and unites people for a lifetime and beyond.

Shauntay Nelson

President, Wisconsin Women’s Network. Owner, Nelson & Co, Business

Juneteenth is a reminder of both the progress we've made and the work that still lies ahead. As a Black woman, a leader, and a descendant of people whose freedom was delayed, I carry the significance of this day deeply. I celebrate the resilience, courage, and determination of those who came before me, while recognizing the responsibility we each have to continue building a more just and equitable future. Juneteenth is both a celebration and a call to action. It reminds us that freedom is not something to be taken for granted. It must be protected, expanded, and advanced in the ways we lead, serve, advocate, and show up for one another. Juneteenth isn't just about recognizing freedom. It's about advancing it.

Mike Taylor 

Pro Basketball player and Milwaukee Community Leader

Juneteenth 2026 stands as a reminder that freedom delayed is still freedom denied. That reality carries a powerful lesson: laws can change overnight, but liberation is a journey that often takes generations. Juneteenth represents resilience, legacies, identity, responsibility, and healing. 

Juneteenth reminds me that freedom is more than being physically released from chains. True freedom is knowing who I am, healing what has hurt me, reclaiming my voice, and helping others discover their own power. It is a celebration of my ancestors’ survival, my community’s resilience, and my responsibility to leave the next generation freer than I found them. Helping others experience the liberation that comes from self-awareness, healing, education, and opportunity.

Farina Brooks

Director, Dream Team United MKE and Community Leader.

Juneteenth to me means that we’ve come a long way and accomplished much as Black Americans.

Derrick “Baba” Rogers

Xodus Collective and Milwaukee Black Liberation Theology Project  

I recognize Juneteenth as a symbolic reminder of the need for Black African people to practice an authentic commitment to one another’s uplift, and to utilize our past to stir our ability to imagine a liberated future. Juneteenth celebrations should not merely be a reminder of our historical trauma. The day should also stimulate a spirit of ongoing collective resistance and revolutionary love.

Denita Ball 

Milwaukee County Sheriff

Juneteenth is a national holiday that commemorates that day in 1865 in Galveston, Texas, when Union soldiers brought news of the emancipation of enslaved people in the United States. Juneteenth is also a reminder to me of the strength of our heritage, the resilience of our culture, and the progress we still need to achieve to ensure equality and justice for everyone.

Tahira Malik 

Founder of Samad’s House, Sober Home for Women   

As Black voices continue to reclaim their past by honoring their ancestors who fought through resistance of past degradation to restore hopelessness by working to bring a sense of unity and community through social change, Juneteenth reminds us that while progress has been made, the fight for racial equity and justice is ongoing. It's a call to action to continue working towards a more just and equitable society. Juneteenth is a day to gather with family, friends, and community members to celebrate, share traditions, and foster a sense of unity and belonging.  

Dr. Sequanna Taylor

State Assembly District 11 Representative

Juneteenth means Remembering the Past, working in the Present knowing the Great shoulders we stand on. To not forget or back down., planning for the Future for generations to come!

Cavalier Johnson 

City of Milwaukee Mayor

Juneteenth reminds me of the promise of America. Not long ago, I visited Monticello in Virginia, the home of Thomas Jefferson. I thought about the founding document, the Declaration of Independence. ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.’ Juneteenth extended that document. 

Milwaukee’s Juneteenth celebration will take place on Friday, June 19, 2026. Jubilee Parade at 9 a.m., starting at 14th Street and Atkinson Avenue, and running south down Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive. The main street festival follows at Rose Park (3045 N. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive) and runs until 4 p.m.