LOGAN – The Center for Community at Utah State University will host a barbeque to observe Juneteenth this evening (Thursday, June 19) at Bridger Park.
The free event is scheduled for 5 to 8:30 p.m. and all USU students, faculty, staff and members of the public are invited to attend.
In the interest of inclusivity, the event’s menu will include vegetarian options as well as traditional barbeque, explained center director Shelly Ortiz while extending an invitation to the members of the Logan Municipal Council on June 17.
The center’s staff is expecting about 700 participants to attend the Juneteenth observance, with dinner served on a first-come, first-served basis, according to Ortiz.
The celebration is intended to bring together the community to honor a pivotal moment in American history through activities that are both educational and enjoyable, she added.
The traditional celebration of the Juneteenth holiday by members of the Afro-American community began 14 months after Gen. Robert E. Lee surrendered the Army of Northern Virginia at Appomattox Courthouse in 1865 and nearly four years after President Abraham Lincoln announced the Emancipation Proclamation.
Juneteenth commemorates the anniversary of the date when Union Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger arrived in the last Confederate hold-out state of Texas in 1865 to announce that the Civil War was over and all remaining slaves must be freed.
The holiday was first celebrated by members of the Black community in Texas exactly one year later on June 19, 1866.
The Center for Community at USU cultivates goodwill and greater understanding both on campus and within communities the university serves, encouraging students to develop into thoughtful, well-rounded individuals prepared to succeed in a global society.
Bridger Park is located at 1181 North, 400 West in Logan.