Pictured Above: Our 2022 Neighbors Day Event Saturday, June 18, 2022
Welcome to our Iowa Juneteenth Observance Website
A Message from Our General Chairperson:
Thank you to all sponsors and the community for making Iowa Juneteenth Observance 2022 a success. We had a wonderful time celebrating our past, reflecting over the present, and planning our future. Your donation to the organization will be used to further the mission which is to provide education in African American culture and history, collaborating with like-minded organizations to cultivate awareness of our contributions. The theme for Iowa Juneteenth 2023 is Freedom to be. The Des Moines Urban Experience looks forward to bringing our Iowa Juneteenth festivities to the area each year. Sign up to be a volunteer for 2023.
Click on the video above for a special message from our Chairperson
Juneteenth is the oldest known celebration that commemorates the June 19th, 1865 announcement of the abolition of slavery in the United States of America. The Iowa Juneteenth Observance has been in existence for 30 years, and was founded by Gary Lawson (Founder & General Chair Emeritus of IJO) in 1990. On April 11, 2002 the Iowa Juneteenth holiday was made an official holiday. It is our desire to promote the "spirit" of Juneteenth throughout the year.
The primary mission of the Iowa Juneteenth Observance is to educate Iowans on the history of Juneteenth and to preserve Juneteenth for future generations to come.
Strategies
The strategies of the Iowa Juneteenth Observance are to present activities via platforms that promote freedom, liberty and responsible citizenship.