Juneteenth is the oldest known celebration that commemorates the June 19, 1865, announcement of the abolition of slavery in the United States of America. The Iowa Juneteenth Observance has been in existence for over 30 years and was founded by Gary Lawson in 1990. On April 11, 2002, the Iowa Juneteenth holiday was made an official holiday, and on June 17, 2021, Congress approved a bill to make Juneteenth an official federal holiday.

The primary mission of the Iowa Juneteenth Observance is to educate Iowans on the history of Juneteenth and to preserve Juneteenth for future generations to come. The theme for Iowa Juneteenth 2024-2025 is to focus on the three R’s, Remembering history, Releasing the past, and Reshaping futures.

Learn about the Juneteenth Flag!

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