Today marks the 161st anniversary of Juneteenth, which celebrates the official end of slavery. It has been 161 years since Union troops arrived in Galveston to ensure that all of the 250,000 enslaved people were freed. News of the Emancipation Proclamation had been suppressed by slave owners in Texas. While the enslaved were technically freed on January 1, 1863, it took two years for the news to finally reach Texas. There was jubilation and celebration then, and we hope today, and this weekend, too.
That first Juneteenth celebration was in Texas, where they believe in doing things bigger and better than we can here in the other 49 states. Texas barbecue and all its fixings are fitting for Juneteenth. In 2021 President Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act into law, establishing Juneteenth as our newest federal holiday. The White House celebrated Juneteenth with a concert on the South Lawn the other night. The President said,“Folks, Black history is American history.” He called Juneteenth, “a day of profound weight and power, a day to remember the original sin of slavery and the extraordinary capacity to merge the most powerful moments and painful moments with a better vision for ourselves.”
Some traditional Juneteenth foods are: cornbread, fried catfish, shrimp and grits, ribs, pulled pork, fried chicken, collard greens, Cajun gumbo, jambalayla, and potato salad. Make the kinds of foods you would have at a cookout, but be sure to have lots of traditional, celebratory red foods: watermelon, tomato salad, red beans and rice, red velvet cake and strawberry pie.“Watermelon and red soda water are the oldest traditional foods on Juneteenth,” said Dr. Ronald Myers, head of the National Juneteenth Observance Foundation.
This Juneteenth I will be doing some home cooking to honor the legacy of the Black Texans on the anniversary of Emancipation Day. I will try to honor the enslaved cooks who brought African cooking to America, by cooking some of their traditional recipes which still add flavors our American cooking. I will even crack open some strawberry soda.
Rhubarb and strawberries are both celebratory red for Juneteenth. I’m still feeling smug about the strawberry rhubarb crumble I baked on our recent vacation, and found this recipe in the New York Times which I am sharing with you, gentle readers:
Juneteenth – rhubarb & roasted strawberry pie
Here are some other easy-peasy celebratory dishes:
Strawberry Lemonade Sparkler
“Juneteenth has never been a celebration of victory or an acceptance of the way things are. It’s a celebration of progress. It’s an affirmation that despite the most painful parts of our history, change is possible—and there is still so much work to do.”
— Barack Obama
2026 Celebrations
Chestertown
Juneteenth Exhibition at Chestertown RiverArts
Dates: June 19, 2026 – July 6, 2026
Time: 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM
Location: Chestertown RiverArts (315 High St, Chestertown, MD)
Details: A free, community-focused exhibition celebrating the voices and history of African American communities on the Eastern Shore.
https://www.ctownra.org/exhibit-schedule#NUfdtL
Easton
Academy Art Museum
Juneteenth Celebration: In Partnership with the Hill Community
Join the Academy Art Museum for its 16th annual Juneteenth celebration—a FREE, daylong event honoring the voices, history, and lived experiences of Easton’s historic Hill Community, one of the oldest free African American neighborhoods in the United States.
https://academyartmuseum.org/juneteenthcelebration/
And in Cambridge:
Juneteenth Celebration and 5K Walk
Saturday, June 20, 2026
The 5K Walk and Juneteenth Celebration will take place on Saturday, June 20, 2026. The 5K Walk is scheduled from 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. and will begin at 700 Phillips Street, where registration and event setup will also occur. The Juneteenth Celebration will follow later in the day from 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. at Cornish Park.
https://choosecambridge.com/Calendar.aspx?EID=739
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