Calgary Juneteenth celebrations set for Shaw Millenium Park

CALGARY – Calgarians are celebrating Juneteenth, also known as Emancipation Day in the United States, at Shaw Millenium Park on Saturday starting at noon.

The event is being put together by Inclusive Canada, and the description reads: “Please join us for a day of sharing stories, experiences, and resilience through spoken word, music, art, and food.”

While attendance is free, organizers are asking for donations in the form of:

– Spring/Summer clothing
– Sneakers/work boots/sandals
– Sleeping bags/blankets
– Tents/tarps
– Non-perishable food items
– Pre-packaged food/snacks/treats
– Bottles of water/juice
– Personal hygiene products (soap, tooth brushes, tooth paste, tampons, pads, shampoo, conditioner, deodorant, chapstick, lotion, hair brushes, hand sanitizer, toilet paper, etc.)
– Baby items such as diapers, formula, wipes, etc.
– Monetary donations can be sent to: bearclanyyc@gmail.com and bpucalgary@gmail.com

All donations will go towards Bear Clan Patrol Calgary and Black People United Calgary.

Juneteenth marks the effective end of slavery in the United States.

According to juneteenth.com, dating back to 1865, it was on June 19th that the Union soldiers arrived in Texas with news that the American Civil War had ended and that the enslaved were now free.

This was two and a half years after President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation, which had become official January 1, 1863.

This year, Canada voted to recognized August 1st as Emanciaption Day, the day wherein the British Empire—which Canada was a part of at the time—abolished slavery.

While the first Monday of August, known as Heritage Day in Alberta, and the Civic Holiday in other provinces, is historically connected to the end of slavery, it has since taken on a new sentiment.

In Alberta, Heritage Day celebrates the diversity of all people.