The City of Rockville will once again join Montgomery County in celebrating Juneteenth with live music, food, art, films and awards on Saturday, June 15.
Look for a City of Rockville table and city representatives at the celebration. The Montgomery County Office of Human Rights and the County Executive’s African American Advisory Group coordinate the program, which also features the African American Living Legend Awards on Friday, June 14, honoring county residents who have helped shape the cultural heritage of the African American community.
Find more details about Juneteenth, as they become available, at www.rockvillemd.gov/Juneteenth.
The city will celebrate the intersection of Juneteenth and Pride with an event on Thursday, June 20, featuring Andre Bradley. A Black LGBTQ author and Rockville resident, Bradley began writing in 2006 as a soldier serving in Iraq. He is a U.S. diplomat, competitive video gamer and author of adult, young adult and middle-grade fantasy fiction. His young adult novel “Trailer Park Prince” will be published in June by Tiny Ghost Press.
Juneteenth commemorates June 19, 1865, when the Union army arrived in Texas bearing federal orders proclaiming the end of slavery.
In July 2020, the Mayor and Council approved a resolution making Rockville the first municipality in Maryland to recognize Juneteenth as a paid city holiday. City facilities will be closed in observance of Juneteenth on Wednesday, June 19.