Juneteenth commemoration Saturday
The Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Committee, pictured, is co-sponsoring a Juneteenth celebration Saturday at McCosh Park in Moses Lake
COURTESY PHOTO/CITY OF MOSES LAKE
MOSES LAKE — A program to commemorate the day the last slaves in the United States learned they were free men and women is scheduled for 2 to 6 p.m. Saturday at the McCosh Park Amphitheater in Moses Lake.
The Juneteenth program is sponsored by the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Committee and the Moses Lake Museum & Art Center.
Juneteenth commemorates June 19, 1865, when news of emancipation was announced to slaves in Galveston, Texas, the last slaves still held. It was made a federal holiday in 2021.
Committee members want to commemorate the contributions of African Americans and the end of slavery, the press release said. It’s also a reminder of the continuing efforts for racial equality, it said.
The afternoon will include live music, games, dancing, face painting and a community potluck picnic.