What is Juneteenth?

Susie Beasley, Manager of Library Operations at the Ralph Ellison Library, defines Juneteenth as "the oldest known celebration of the end of slavery in the U.S. It's the observance of June 19th, 1865, which is considered to be the African-American Emancipation Day."

Although President Lincoln released the Emancipation Proclamation two and a-half years previously, word was slow reaching Texas , then a far-flung outpost of the Confederacy.

"This year, for our Juneteenth celebration on Saturday, June 17, there'll be lots going on at the Ralph Ellison library," Beasley added. "The Kansas Colored Volunteer Regiment will set up a Civil War era campsite. Local music and dance groups will perform, and we're bringing in the Kalazh Jazz Band and the CDs Jazz Band. Also, this year we're lucky to have the Eldredge Jackson and Listening Pleasure, a terrific jazz band from Tulsa , to perform."

The library will also host a discussion on the importance of quilt designs in assisting escaped slaves finding their way to the North through use of the Underground Railroad. The theory is that coded maps and warnings were incorporated into the patterns.

"This will be our 20 th Anniversary of Juneteenth at Ralph Ellison," Beasley concluded, "and we're celebrating with games, poetry, music and dance. There will even be a few vendors on the library grounds with specialty items."

The Ralph Ellison Library Juneteenth Festival will be held on Saturday, June 17. Events begin at 10:00 a.m. and will continue all day, concluding around 4:00 p.m.

Call the library at 424-1437 for more information. The Ralph Ellison Library is located at 2000 NE 23rd , Oklahoma City.

The Metropolitan Library System of Oklahoma County includes 12 libraries and five extension libraries. Libraries include Belle Isle, Capitol Hill, Ralph Ellison, Ronald J. Norick Downtown Library and Southern Oaks in Oklahoma City, as well as Bethany, Choctaw, Del City, Edmond, Midwest City, Village and Warr Acres. Extensions are located in the communities of Harrah, Jones, Luther and Nicoma Park and include Wright Library in Oklahoma City . You can also reach us at www.metrolibrary.org.