Montco Juneteenth Winners Will Be Announced June 17

NORRISTOWN — Montgomery County is hosting a flag ceremony and Art and Prose of Freedom Contest for students in celebration of Juneteenth.

Juneteen is a holiday in memory of June 19, 1865, when all of the enslaved people in Texas were freed, two years after President Lincoln signed the emancipation proclamation.

Slavery officially ended when the 13th Amendment was passed on Dec. 18, 1865.

“While often celebrated in Black communities, many Americans have remained unaware of Juneteenth’s significance until more recently, and we working to change that,” said Donna L. Richemond, chief of diversity, equity, and inclusion for Montgomery County.

Richemond said the purpose of these events is to highlight poignant and current issues through displays of culture, collaboration, commerce, unity and education.

Art, poetry and essay contest

Students in public, private, parochial, or home school are invited to submit entries for poetry, essays, and art with a theme of what freedom means to you.

Students are encouraged to use their imaginations to define or redefine freedom in 2022 in the spirit of Juneteenth.

Submissions are accepted in three categories: poem, essay and art. Students may submit one entry under each category.

May 27 was the deadline to submit entries.

Flag ceremony

A flag ceremony is scheduled at 10 a.m. June 17 at the Montgomery County Court Courthouse on the corner of Swede and Airy streets.

The public event will feature speakers, a reading of Emancipation Proclamation, and presentations from the winners of the 2022 Art and Prose of Freedom Contest.

Juneteenth, observed on June 19, has been an official Montgomery County holiday since 2020.