Growing up as a sixth-generation Fort Worthian, Jarred Howard recalls numerous summers celebrating Juneteenth, the day Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger issued a general order announcing the end of slavery in Texas and the liberation of enslaved people throughout the U.S. Now, on the 160th anniversary of the original declaration, Fort Worth’s highly anticipated National Juneteenth Museum is launching a festival, called Freedom Vibes, to mark the holiday.
“As long as I have been alive, Fort Worth has celebrated Juneteenth,” says Howard, who serves as the forthcoming museum’s CEO. “Juneteenth has always been a staple in the community that I grew up in. And so we’re just making it much bigger than it’s ever been before.”
Plans for the museum include breaking ground later this year and having room to expand the “Grandmother of Juneteenth” Opal Lee’s existing collection of historical artifacts into a 50,000-square-foot cultural center. Howard says the inaugural event, taking place June 19-22 at various locations, is intended to help bolster the museum’s national profile.
The festival kicks off with a speakers series headlined by former UN Ambassador Andrew Young and concerts by Orchestra Noir, a multipiece ensemble out of Atlanta that plays R&B and blues, and classic R&B acts including the O’Jays and the Whispers. There’s a Sunday gospel performance by Pastor Mike Jr. and, building on Fort Worth tradition, a Saturday block party featuring local food and musical acts.
“In light of the great work that Ms. Opal has done, that it is now a federal holiday, and that America is, to a large degree, still unfamiliar with what Juneteenth represents,” Howard says, “we have assumed the charge of educating America.” freedomvibes2025.com
