The City of Woodbury has staged three trails with signs describing the journey to freedom.

Trails behind City Hall, in Ojibway Park and around Colby Lake Park all host the same informative placards. Adding the parks to the display gives more residents a chance to learn about the importance of Juneteenth.

Trail Maps

Historical Background

On Jan. 1, 1863, in the midst of the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, freeing people enslaved in the Confederacy and encouraging them to join the Union Army.

Given the limited communication systems, the chaos of war and the reluctance of slave owners to share the news, there were delays in those living in slavery learning of their emancipation.

One of the longest delays occurred in Texas. It wasn’t until two years later, on June 19, 1865, after the South had surrendered, when Union Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston that a quarter million people learned they were free.

Holiday

On the first anniversary of the news, freed Texans celebrated Jubilee Day. Up through the 20th century, many Black communities celebrated with picnics, church services and music. The day came to be known as Juneteenth when the month of June and 19th were squished together.

In 1979, Texas lawmakers approved legislation making Juneteenth an official state holiday beginning in 1980.

Credit for advocacy in making Juneteenth a federal holiday goes to Opal Lee of Texas. When Lee was 12 years old, her family bought a house in a white neighborhood in Fort Worth, Texas. On Juneteenth in 1939, a violent white mob gathered and burned the house down while the police stood by and the family fled. Despite this trauma, Lee dedicated her life to civil rights, education and unity. In 2016, at age 89, Lee walked from Fort Worth toward Washington, D.C., advocating for the day to be recognized as a federal holiday and earning her the title of “Grandmother of Juneteenth.”

President Joe Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act on June 17, 2021, making Juneteenth a federal holiday. In 2023, the Minnesota Legislature passed Juneteenth as a state holiday that will be recognized on June 19 each year.

Juneteenth Observances

Unlike in previous Junes, there is no community gathering planned in Woodbury on June 19 this year.

Other celebrations in the East Metro include:

Rondo 2026 Juneteenth Celebration: The Rondo Center of Diverse Expressions is hosting its Juneteenth observance from noon to 5 p.m. Friday, June 19, at the center, 315 N. Fisk St., St. Paul.

Juneteenth: A Family Celebration: The event is free and will feature live music, vendors, arts and entertainment, the Community Griot Awards, scholarships and community. The event is from noon to 6 p.m. Friday, June 19, at the state Capitol in St. Paul.

Juneteenth at the Fort: To celebrate Juneteenth, Fort Snelling is hosting a series of tours from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday, June 19. The tours will highlight 19th-century Black history at Historic Fort Snelling.

City, county, state and federal offices will be closed June 19. R.H. Stafford Library will close in observance. The Post Office will be closed, and there will be no regular mail delivery on Juneteenth.