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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883
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Juneteenth kicks off this week at the MLK Center with Thursday and Saturday events

Mom Jalize Jackson and sons Jameel Fletcher, 2, and Zy’Rai Fletcher, 1, inch their way closer to petting a pony during the Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center’s Juneteenth Celebration in 2023 in Spokane. (COLIN MULVANY/THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW)
From staff reports

Join the Martin Luther King Jr. Center on Thursday for its Juneteenth kickoff event and Saturday for its the community celebration.

The Thursday kickoff event runs 5:30 to 7 p.m. with local speakers, food and entertainment. Guests can also expect to hear about more local happenings in the Spokane area honoring the end of slavery; the celebration begins at 11 a.m. and wraps up at 3 p.m. Saturday at 500 S. Stone St. and will feature live music, food, giveaways, games and more.

Juneteenth – June 19 – is a day of remembrance, activist Stephaine Courtney told The Spokesman-Review in 2023, noting it is a time to be thankful for all the work that has gone into creating equal opportunities for African Americans.

The nation’s newest federal holiday is a celebration that acknowledges the end of slavery. It became recognized nationwide in 2021, though the holiday has been celebrated unofficially since its inception in 1865 by Black Americans and as a state holiday in Texas since 1980.