Commemorating Juneteenth in Central Florida

by | June 13, 2025

Known as Emancipation Day, Freedom Day, or America’s second Independence Day, Juneteenth marks a pivotal moment in our nation’s history – a moment of liberation and reckoning. This federal holiday, recognized nationally since 2021, reminds us that while progress has been made in the struggle for justice and equality, the journey is far from complete – especially here in Florida, where threats to civil rights and racial equality persist. 

Juneteenth commemorates the end of slavery in the United States, but it also tells a deeper story: that freedom delayed is freedom denied. Though the Emancipation Proclamation was signed in 1863, its promises didn’t reach all enslaved people until years later. In that gap between law and liberation, we find the very heart of what this holiday represents – resilience, resistance, and the ongoing pursuit of justice. 

This moment in history calls us not just to reflect, but to act. We are living through a time when honest conversations about race are being silenced, books are being banned, and the truths of Black history are under attack. These actions are not neutral – they are a part of a broader effort to erase lived experiences and slow the progress so many have fought to achieve. 

As poet Lucille Clifton once wrote, “Every pair of eyes facing you has probably experienced something you could not endure.” Juneteenth is a chance to honor those stories, those eyes, those truths – and to commit ourselves to building a future where equity isn’t just an ideal, but a reality. 

Now 160 years since the Emancipation Proclamation, we still face the reality that true freedom and equality have not reached everyone. This Juneteenth, let’s amplify Black voices, challenge injustice, and support leaders and policies that move us forward – not backward. 

We thank you for continuing to fight for a more inclusive and equitable future. Below, you’ll find opportunities to celebrate Juneteenth 2025 throughout Central Florida – both virtually and in person. Let us honor this day through education, reflection, and collective action.