The Juneteenth Flag is flying high at the Cincinnati Park Board Administration Office in historic Eden Park.
Earlier this month, the Cincinnati Art Museum held a Juneteenth celebration at the new Art Climb. The event included Bishop Todd O’Neal, Dr. Catherine Roma, the Unity Celebration Choir, and a flag-raising by Buffalo Soldier Reginald B. Murray. The flag will fly in Eden Park through the end of June.
Juneteenth
Juneteenth is honored on June 19, the day in 1865 when Union soldiers shared the news that the Civil War had ended and that President Abraham Lincoln had freed enslaved peoples more than two years earlier with the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation. President Joe Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act on Thursday, June 17, 2021, making Juneteenth a federal holiday. This is the first new federal holiday since Martin Luther King Jr. Day, added in 1983.
Other Ways to Celebrate
Visit the Black Brigade Monument in Smale Riverfront Park!
The Black Brigade was formed in 1862 to construct barricades to defend Cincinnati from Confederate attack. Over 700 African-American men volunteered for the service and formed The Black Brigade—which, alongside many other local soldiers, successfully built the critical fortifications in Northern Kentucky.
William Mallory Sr. established the concept and design approach for the monument and worked with diverse team of local artists including sculptors John Hebenstreit and Carolyn Manto, creative writer Tyrone Williams, and graphic designer Erik Brown. John Hebenstreit is also the sculptor for the Ezzard Charles statue in Laurel Park.
We also recommend the short walk up to the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center located at: 50 East Freedom Way, Cincinnati, OH 45202.