Johnson County is again joining the nation in recognizing and honoring Juneteenth. A blend of the words June and nineteenth, Juneteenth is the oldest African American holiday observance in the nation.

The county’s public The Jubilee of Juneteenth: Celebrating a Legacy of Freedom is scheduled from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, June 19, at the Lenexa Civic Campus Commons, 17101 West 87th St., featuring speakers, music, children’s crafts and food available for purchase in the Market.

The Johnson County Arts & Heritage Center, 8788 Metcalf Ave., Overland Park, is planning its 3rd annual Juneteenth commemoration and celebration from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. June 8. Activities will include art, music, food and more. For complete event details, visit JCPRD.com.

Johnson County Library and Johnson County Museum are also planning activities with details to be announced soon.

Johnson County offices will be closed on June 19 in observance of Juneteenth.

Juneteenth celebrates the date (June 19) when Union troops arrived in Galveston, Texas in 1865 to ensure the freedom of all enslaved people in the state. The arrival came more than 2½ years after President Abraham Lincoln had issued the Emancipation Proclamation on Jan. 1, 1863.

Texas was the last Southern state to be formally notified of the president’s action that established all enslaved people in Confederate states in rebellion against the Union “shall be then, henceforward, and forever free.”

The 13th Amendment abolishing slavery was ratified on Dec. 6, 1865. The following year, the first celebration of “Jubilee Day” on June 19 was organized in Texas. In 1980, Texas became the first state to celebrate Juneteenth as a state holiday.

Several Johnson County and metro cities along with other organizations are also planning different ways for the community to honor the holiday.

More information on local Juneteenth activities when finalized will be available by visiting jocogov.org/juneteenth and shared with local media and on social media.