By Kathy Chouteau
Richmond residents are invited to help honor and commemorate Juneteenth 2021 at the Juneteenth Caravan & Rally Saturday, June 19.
Cars will begin lining up at 10 a.m. at the historic North Richmond Missionary Baptist Church, 1427 Fred Jackson Way. The caravan will begin at 11 a.m. and will proceed through the city and then end at Kennedy High School, 4300 Cutting Blvd. in Richmond. An educational and cultural program at the high school will follow the caravan.
“We encourage the community to decorate your cars in support of Juneteenth,” said Brandon Evans of RPAL.
This year’s Juneteenth Grand Marshall is Jerrold Hatchett, with Lorraine Wangari and Naja JiJaga stepping up as the youth grand marshals.
The annual Juneteenth celebration commemorates June 19, 1865, when Major General Gordon Granger and his Union soldiers arrived in Galveston, TX and announced the Civil War had ended and that slaves were free. The historic Texas event occurred more than two years following the Emancipation Proclamation (Jan. 1, 1863).
To sign up to be a part of the caravan, contact Brandon Evans at [email protected] or fill out the short form here.
