The Peach State’s Juneteenth celebrations come at a time when the Trump administration is scaling back funding for DEI programs.
Selina and Howie Newton were first-time visitors at Marietta’s Juneteenth festival, but the anniversary of the official end of slavery in America has always been a big deal in their household.
Selina enjoys decorating the front of their house during the month of June to mark the occasion. And as they strolled through Marietta Square last weekend, the couple sported Juneteenth shirts and color coordinated shoes.
“We really don’t celebrate the Fourth of July as Independence Day the way some people do,” Howie Newton said. “So that has a lot to do with why I feel the way I do about Juneteenth.”
This year, Georgia’s Juneteenth celebrations are happening at a fraught time nationally for diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, as Trump moves to scale back DEI programs and funding. And some of these Juneteenth celebrations, including here in Georgia, have felt the impact, as some sponsors withdraw their support.
“In spite of those efforts and the repressive, tense political climate generally, there will be a number of Juneteenth celebrations here in the metro Atlanta area and throughout the state this year,” said Clarissa Myrick-Harris White, who is a professor of Africana studies at Morehouse College.
Deja Shelton raises a Juneteenth flag during the Atlanta Juneteenth parade last weekend. Julia Beverly for the Georgia Recorder
Juneteenth commemorates the freeing of the final group of slaves under the Emancipation Proclamation. Though President Abraham Lincoln issued the proclamation in 1863, it took an additional two years for the news to reach Galveston, Texas. It wasn’t until General Gordon Granger led Union troops through Galveston on June 19, 1865, that over 250,000 slaves learned of their freedom.
Juneteenth became a federal holiday in 2021 after the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act was passed by Congress and signed into law by former President Joe Biden. Georgia Gov. Brain Kemp signed similar legislation in 2022 making Juneteenth a state holiday with paid time off for state employees.
While at least one state – West Virginia – has revoked the 2025 holiday observance, Juneteenth is still a federal and state holiday in Georgia.
“It has just really always been the intention to embrace what freedom is, embracing freedom and inclusion all the way across the board,” said Jeriene Bonner-Willis, the Cobb County NAACP president. “This has been about unification. As we look at 2025, it’s a celebration. It’s supposed to honor the history and the experience of enslaved, African Americans.”
Pat Snipes, the executive director of the Before Slavery Project, saw Juneteenth as the perfect place to reach her target audience. The project aims to educate people on the rich history and legacy of the people caught up in the Transatlantic slave trade.
With an exhibit at the Marietta History Center just steps away from where she set up her booth, Snipes said she hopes to help African Americans forge deeper connections with their culture. Aware that the emphasis on Black history could be diminished by DEI cutbacks, Snipes is determined to continue her mission not only on Juneteenth, but every day.
“It’s disheartening to hear that our country is taking several steps back, but we can’t let that stop us,” Snipes said. “We have to continue to move forward and be hopeful.”
While some celebrated Juneteenth on Saturday, others participated in “No Kings” Protests across the state. This juxtaposition occurred in Marietta, where smells of smoked meat and fresh popcorn floated in the air joining echoes of noisy chants from neighboring protesters.
The anti-Trump protests transpired as a nationwide response to a D.C. military parade for the 250th birthday of the U.S. Army. Saturday was not the first time Trump has hosted a large event around Juneteenth. He faced criticism during his first term for planning a campaign rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on June 19, 2020. The rally was eventually rescheduled for the next day, but not until after Trump claimed to popularize the holiday with his scheduling conflict.
Marietta wasn’t the only city celebrating Juneteenth last weekend. Atlanta also celebrated with a parade and music festival in Piedmont Park. Other cities, including Augusta, will continue celebrations throughout the week.
Atlanta and Augusta’s festivals faced difficulty fundraising after sponsorships were withdrawn due to DEI reversals. Johnny Gregory III, the president of Band of Brothers Augusta, which hosts the Juneteenth festival, said that a few previous sponsors of the annual celebration ended their sponsorship after company-based DEI changes.
“We’ve noticed that it’s more of the corporations that are internationally and nationally known that are not supporting the local events and cultural events,” Gregory III said.
Juneteenth Atlanta faced similar problems, according to an Instagram post just days ahead of last weekend’s celebration.
“As a 501(c)(3) non-profit, we’ve faced unexpected challenges with sponsorships this year due to the national DEI backlash. But here’s the thing: our community deserves this celebration, and we believe in the power of coming together!” the post said.
As Juneteenth celebrations continue, a shared sense of preservation and perseverance remain.
Small business owners in Augusta have helped fill the gap of withdrawn sponsorships. In Atlanta, festivities continued through summer showers. Even with the challenges this year, supporters of Juneteenth say the holiday serves as a reminder and opportunity to celebrate and reflect.
“Music, parades, food and cultural commemorations are very good and important, but it has to go beyond that,” Myrick-Harris White said. “There needs to be an understanding that Juneteenth, in and of itself, as a national holiday, is symbolic. It affirms the importance of remembering historical events that uniquely impact Black people. I applaud the symbolic act as a reminder, it’s a reaffirmation of the promise of freedom.”
