Juneteenth marks the day freedom finally reached the last enslaved people in the United States. This year, the Queen City will recognize that historic milestone with a powerful celebration led by one of the city’s own: Cincinnati Bengals offensive tackle Orlando Brown Jr.
The National Underground Railroad Freedom Center will host its annual Juneteenth Jubilee on Thursday, June 19 – a free, all-day event filled with live music, food, health screenings, family activities and community programming focused on equity and empowerment.
Brown will open the day with remarks, join a Youth Empowerment Summit, and lead a Second Line Procession to the Ohio River – a symbolic tribute to the journeys made by freedom seekers along the Underground Railroad. He’ll also be available for autographs and is donating tickets to the Bengals’ 2025 home opener to be raffled off during the celebration.
“This celebration is both joyful and action-oriented,” said Woodrow Keown Jr., president and COO of the Freedom Center, which opened along the banks of the Ohio River in 2004 as a national monument to the fight for freedom. “It’s a reminder of how far we’ve come – and how far we still have to go – to realize the full promise of freedom.”
Juneteenth commemorates June 19, 1865, when Union soldiers arrived in Galveston, Texas, and announced the end of slavery – more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation. Recognized as a federal holiday in 2021, it has become a growing day of remembrance, celebration, and recommitment to justice.
The Jubilee will stretch across Freedom Way and inside the museum, featuring performances by DJ Vader Mixx and the 2nd Wind Band, health and wellness stations, food trucks, and a market of Black-owned businesses. Admission to the museum will be free, thanks to support from the Fifth Third Foundation.
For a full schedule of events, visit freedomcenter.org.
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