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Juneteenth is observed June 19 as the traditional commemoration date of the emancipation of enslaved people in the United States.
Source: NMSU Newsroom
Photo: Courtesy
Cover Caption: New Mexico State University’s Black Programs will team up with the NAACP of Doña Ana County and the Juneteenth Jazz Arts Festival to host several events to recognize and celebrate Juneteenth. (NMSU photo by Josh Bachman)
New Mexico State University’s Black Programs invites Aggies and community members to join this year’s Juneteenth festivities.
Juneteenth is observed June 19 as the traditional commemoration date of the emancipation of enslaved people in the United States. It marks the date in 1865 when enslaved African Americans in Galveston, Texas, learned of their freedom – more than two years after President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation.
Juneteenth became a federally recognized holiday in 2021.
NMSU Black Programs, in partnership with NMSU’s Black Student Association and NMSU’s NAACP college chapter, will kick off the festivities Thursday, June 19, with a community barbecue from noon to 2 p.m. on the Corbett Center Student Union outdoor stage and grassy area. It will feature free barbecue, Black-owned businesses, a Juneteenth proclamation, games and music. It is open to the public. Black Programs is part of NMSU’s Office of Equity, Inclusion and Diversity.
“Juneteenth is a time to honor those who came before us and appreciate and reflect on the resilience and achievements that have shaped where we are today,” said Aaliyah Walker, a social work student and Black Programs student aide.
Walker said the Juneteenth kickoff event will be an opportunity to bring the community together while highlighting the history and progress of Black Americans.
“I’m especially excited to see the different types of Black-owned businesses that will be featured, including my mom’s, which makes it even more meaningful,” Walker said. “It’s going to be an enjoyable, fun-filled and educational event. I truly believe it’s extremely important members of our Las Cruces and surrounding communities, no matter what background they come from, come and learn about the history as well as engage to cultivate a future that moves forward in unity.”
The NAACP of Doña Ana County, in partnership with NMSU’s Black Programs, will host a Juneteenth banquet from 6 to 8 p.m. Saturday, June 21, at the Las Cruces Convention Center. The banquet will also feature a live jazz session by Billy Townes, dinner and a keynote speech by Michael E. Grady, a senior pastor at Prince of Peace Christian Fellowship in El Paso. Grady served more than 20 years as a U.S. Army chaplain.
Tickets to the banquet are $75 per person and may be purchased online at https://naacpdac.org/asp-products/juneteenth-2025-freedom-banquet/.
Between Saturday, June 14, and Sunday, June 22, the Juneteenth Jazz Arts Festival will host a series of free concerts and performances at the NMSU Atkinson Recital Hall, including:
- Joe Dunn Big Band will perform from 7 to 9 p.m. Saturday, June 14.
- Nat Reeves, Tawanda Suessbrich-Joaquim and Camerata Del Sol will perform from 7 to 9 p.m. Friday, June 20.
- Camerata Del Sol will perform from 3 to 5 p.m. Sunday, June 22.
For more information about Juneteenth events, contact NMSU Black Programs at blackpro@nmsu.edu or 575-646-4208.
