By Isabel Hicks MSU NEWS SERVICE
BOZEMAN — Montana State University is hosting an event to celebrate the federal holiday of Juneteenth, which commemorates the emancipation of enslaved people in the United States.
The free event, called “The Freedom to Celebrate,” will be held Thursday, June 19, from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Romney Oval on campus. The MSU Black Student Union organized the event, which is now in its third year and also serves to celebrate Black excellence and art throughout American history.
The event will feature food, music, comedy, lawn games, a raffle for prizes and comments from leaders of the Black Student Union. All members of the public are welcome.
Opening remarks will start at 4:45 p.m. Later, there will be performances by musician Pentley Holmes, Bozeman DJ Josh Perkins and comedian Alex Babbitt.
The Black Student Union is excited to fly out the special guests — Holmes is a guitarist and vocalist from New Jersey who creates music that blends contemporary blues, rock, soul and pop. Babbitt is a comedian from Brooklyn who has been featured on HBO’s “All Def Comedy” and hosts a weekly web series “Behind the Mic Stand.”
More information is available on the MSU Juneteenth website. The website also houses resources for celebrating the holiday, including recipes for culturally significant dishes and links to educational materials related to Juneteenth and Black history.
“Juneteenth isn’t just about the past, it’s about the fight we still carry on,” said Chanielle Rice, president of the MSU Black Student Union. “Freedom is ours to claim from 1865 forward, and we continue to celebrate, educate and elevate our stories.”
Juneteenth was established as a federal holiday in 2021 to commemorate the end of slavery in the U.S. After the Emancipation Proclamation was signed on Jan. 1, 1863, many enslaved people were notified of their freedom. However, it took over two years for the news to reach enslaved people in Texas and much of the Confederacy, so it wasn’t until June 19, 1865, that U.S. Army Gen. Gordon Granger read orders in Galveston, Texas, that all previously enslaved people were free.
