TULSA, Okla. — June 19 is Juneteenth, the national holiday celebrating the end of slavery in the United States.
It was on that date in 1865 when the last enslaved people in Texas were finally freed by federal troops, with the Emancipation Proclamation supposed to have taken effect more than two years earlier.
Juneteenth became a federal holiday in 2021 (officially called Juneteenth National Independence Day), the newest one since Martin Luther King Jr. Day was signed into law in 1983.
EVENTS
While many events last weekend honored the day, there’s no shortage of things happening on Wednesday, June 19, and the rest of the week—many of them art-centered.
One such event is a free open mic in downtown Tulsa.
The Living Arts Poetry Committee welcomes everyone to what it calls “an evening of celebration, reflection, and contemplation” starting at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday at 307 E. Reconciliation Way in Tulsa.
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Circle Cinema will hold a free community screening of a documentary called “The Right to Read” on Wednesday night.
The film looks at the societal implications of kids not being able to read because they lack access to better reading instruction. It follows a teacher and an NAACP activist fighting those problems at one California school district.
The screening starts at 7:20pm, and Circle Cinema recommends people show up 30 minutes ahead of time. It will only screen that night.
Speaking of film screenings, Guthrie Green is holding a free movie night on Thursday, June 20. They’re showing the documentary Riding Legacy, which examines Oklahoma’s black cowboy community, which has existed since the 1850s.
The movie night kicks off at 8pm. After the film ends, the director and the cast will hold a question-and-answer session.
WHAT’S OPEN & CLOSED ON JUNE 19?
Most City of Tulsa facilities, such as City Hall and the municipal court, will be closed on Wednesday, June 19. However, first responders and other critical operations will operate normally.
Residents who need assistance with water or sewer problems can call the following 24-hour emergency numbers:
- Water: (918) 596-9488
- Sewer: (918) 586-6999
Refuse, recycling, residential curbside yard waste, and bulky waste will all be collected on Wednesday according to their regular schedules.
Closed on Wednesday:
- The City of Tulsa mulch site (2100 N. 145th East Ave.)—reopens on Thursday, June 20
- The Household Pollutant Collection Facility (4502 S. Galveston Ave.)—facility resumes its usual schedule on Saturday, June 22
- The City of Tulsa Animal Welfare Shelter (3031 N. Erie Ave.)—resumes its usual schedule on Thursday
- Tulsa Parks Recreation Centers and Tulsa Parks Day Camps
- Redbud Valley Nature Preserve
- Several Tulsa pools will close Wednesday afternoon (Lacy Park Pool at 2pm; Reed Park, Whiteside, and McClure Park pools at 4pm)
Open on Wednesday:
- Oxley Trails (Oxley Nature Center’s visitors center will be closed)
- The Mohawk Park and Page Belcher golf courses
- Tulsa Zoo
- MetroLink Tulsa will provide regular service on Wednesday
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