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WHAT IS JUNETEENTH?

Juneteenth commemorates June 19, 1865, the day when enslaved people in Texas learned from Union troops that the U.S. Civil War had ended. Black people in Texas were already resisting slavery from within but were unaware that the Civil War had come to an end.

Juneteenth celebrations have expanded geographically with the movement of Black Americans to other countries. Celebrations abroad use the day to recognize the end of slavery, liberation generally, and to celebrate the culture, achievements, and interconnectedness of the African diaspora.

Given the concerted efforts to erase and repress knowledge of Black history and culture in the United States - as well as freedoms and civil liberties globally - Black Americans abroad have a vested interest and responsibility to continue the traditions and remembrances of Juneteenth in their adopted communities. As the population of Black Americans grows in Barcelona, celebrating Juneteenth provides a new opportunity for the community to ground itself, increase its visibility, and become better connected and integrated within Barcelona’s African diaspora and the city as a whole.

WHY CELEBRATE JUNETEENTH IN BARCELONA?

WHO IS THE JUNETEENTH COMMITTEE?

Juneteenth Barcelona has an organizing committee of a dozen volunteers with three goals: to connect and inspire Barcelona's African diaspora, to raise our visibility in the city, and to support our common liberation.