Today is Juneteenth, and a local organization has already kicked off its festivities on O‘ahu.
Afro Aloha is a Black-owned business. It has hosted its annual Black is Art event at Blue Note this week, showcasing operatic performances to R&B, and musicians and visual artists from the Black community.
Hawai‘i was the 49th state to officially recognize Juneteenth. The U.S. government made it a federal holiday in 2021.
"When I see Juneteenth now, it really does just bring me so much joy, especially in Hawaiʻi, that this community is able to come together and have those celebrations, because I think when I first arrived in Hawaiʻi 13 years ago, I didn't see any Juneteenth celebrations at all. And in fact, there are many people here that had no idea what Juneteenth was," said Amy Benson, who is the founder of Afro Aloha.
The day commemorates June 19, 1865, when enslaved people in Galveston, Texas learned they were free — more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation.
