Memphians can celebrate Juneteenth at Health Sciences Park this weekend, with the festival beginning at 10 a.m. and running all day and night on Friday and Saturday. The move to Health Sciences Park was aimed at increasing attendance from a diverse community. The festival will feature various local vendors, food trucks, and health and wellness vendors for attendees to enjoy.
There are many ways to honor Juneteenth, which commemorates the end of slavery on June 19, 1865. While Juneteenth has been celebrated in Memphis for decades, celebrations have grown since President Biden made it a Federal Holiday in 2021. This day honors the announcement made by Union soldiers in Galveston, Texas, declaring all enslaved people free.
Memphis started hosting its Juneteenth festival in Historic Douglas Park in the early 1990s, teaching the community about the history and significance of the day in African American culture. Telisa Franklin, a businesswoman and entrepreneur, took on the leadership of the festival over the years, eventually moving the event to the Medical District at Health Sciences Park downtown.
Health Sciences Park holds historical significance as it was originally named for Confederate General Nathan Bedford Forrest, a slave owner and early Ku Klux Klan leader. A statue of Forrest at the park was removed and moved to a museum, reflecting the park’s ties to the freedom movement. It’s a meaningful location for the Juneteenth celebration, highlighting the progress made since the end of slavery in the United States.