Events, county closures planned for Juneteenth

(Updated at noon) Sunday is Juneteenth and Monday is the federal holiday in observance of it.

A number of events are planned in Arlington to mark the day, which commemorates the emancipation of freed slaves. Many county facilities will also be closed on Monday due to the federal holiday.

First up is a Juneteenth Peace Rally that’s happening today from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. next to the AMC Theater at 2100 Clarendon Blvd in Courthouse. The rally is organized by the Arlington Black Employees Council.

More events are planned this weekend and next week, including:

• Juneteenth: A Celebration of Freedom at Wilson Blvd Christian Church, 3850 Wilson Blvd — Saturday (June 18) from 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m.
• WalkArlington Presents: Juneteenth Black Heritage Walk starting at Towers Park (801 S. Scott Street) — Sunday (June 19) from 10-11:30 a.m.
• A Conversation with Amina Luqman-Dawson at Shirlington Branch Library (4200 Campbell Avenue) — Wednesday (June 22) from 6:30-7:30 p.m.
• Book Talk with Local Author Wilma Jones at Arlington Central Library (1015 N. Quincy Street) — Thursday (June 23) from 6:30-7:30 p.m.

From an Arlington County email sent yesterday afternoon:

Arlington County celebrates Juneteenth this year by recognizing the contributions of Black Americans to our society, and specifically to our community. We are committed to preserving and honoring the history of those who sacrificed and paved the way for progress while ensuring equitable measures are implemented for the future of Arlington’s Black communities. Our work to forward racial equity in our governmental processes, investments and actions honor their resilience and reward their excellence.

About Juneteenth: Short for June Nineteenth, it marks when Union Army soldiers arrived in Galveston, Texas, on June 19, 1865, to declare that more than 250,000 enslaved Black people in the state (which was under Confederate control during the American Civil War) were freed through the Emancipation Proclamation made effective in 1863. It is an annual commemoration of the end of slavery in the U.S. and was officially declared a federal holiday in 2021.

County government offices, libraries, community centers and Covid vaccine and testing sites will be closed on Monday. Metered parking will not be enforced. Trash and recycling collection, however, will happen as usual.

Metrorail will operate on a mostly normal schedule on Monday, while buses will operate on a weekend schedule that varies by route, according to WMATA.