EAST LANSING, Mich. — Community members are encouraged to participate in a national observance of Juneteenth by joining the first annual Juneteenth All Community March and Celebration on Sunday, June 18.
The Juneteenth All Community March will begin at 11 a.m., leaving from the East Lansing Hannah Community Center (ELHCC), 819 Abbot Road. Parking will be available at the East Lansing Public Library, 950 Abbot Road, which is closed on Sundays during the summer months.
The march will be led by Kefentse Chike, a professor of drumming. Participants will march from the ELHCC to the East Lansing Farmers Market, 280 Valley Court Park. The route will take participants south on Abbot Road to Oakhill Avenue, turning onto Evergreen Avenue and ending at Valley Court Park.
“We are excited for the community to come together to celebrate Juneteenth, our nation’s second Independence Day,” East Lansing Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Director Elaine Hardy said.
The East Lansing Farmers Market will be the site of a Juneteenth Celebration with activities including live jazz music provided by artists from the Summer Solstice Jazz Festival. The East Lansing Public Library’s Library on the Go will be on site and WKAR will also be hosting a booth.
To learn more about the history of Juneteenth and read the City Council resolution declaring Juneteenth a holiday in the City of East Lansing, visit: https://www.cityofeastlansing.com/DocumentCenter/View/13646/Juneteenth-2023-PDF.