President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden announced on Wednesday that they will be hosting a Juneteenth concert on the South Lawn of the White House on June 13. The event will celebrate the emancipation of enslaved people in the United States and will feature performances by a variety of musical artists.
“Juneteenth is a day of freedom and joy, and it is a day to reflect on the progress we have made as a nation and to recommit ourselves to the work of equality,” Biden said in a statement. “Jill and I are excited to welcome Americans from all over the country to the White House to celebrate this important holiday.”
The concert will be free and open to the public. Tickets will be available on a first-come, first-served basis starting on June 6.
The performance lineup has not yet been announced, but Biden has said that he hopes to bring together a diverse group of artists to celebrate Juneteenth. The event will be the first time that the White House has hosted a Juneteenth concert.
Juneteenth marks the anniversary of June 19, 1865, when Union soldiers arrived in Galveston, Texas, and informed enslaved people that they were free. The news came two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation was issued, and it marked the end of slavery in the United States.
Juneteenth has been celebrated by African Americans for generations, but it was not until 2021 that it became a federal holiday. Biden signed legislation establishing Juneteenth as a federal holiday on June 17, 2021.
The Juneteenth concert at the White House is a significant event, and it is a sign of the Biden administration’s commitment to racial equality. The event will be an opportunity for Americans from all over the country to come together to celebrate Juneteenth and to recommit themselves to the work of equality.
