Celebrate Juneteenth 2009 in Oberlin, Ohio
Save the Date: June 12 & 13, 2009
On July 17, 1992, the city of Oberlin, Ohio, celebrated its first community event specifically focusing on the history of its African American residents. Held in conjunction with the annual summer celebration was called “Oberlin Heritage Days, ” a cultural festival organized by local downtown merchant, Adenike Sharpley took place in Oberlin’s central Tappan Square. This was the beginning of a tradition that raises awareness around the town’s rich African American legacy. The festival at Heritage Days continued for three years. Then, in the summer of 1995, the celebration grew to incorporate the national Juneteenth festival. Nationally, Juneteenth celebrations focus on the historical significance of emancipation within the United States, but Oberlin’s festival seeks to highlight the city’s unique role in the abolitionist movement.--Oberlin’s Juneteenth Festival: A History by Silvija Aschaffenburg-Koschnick and Montana Levi Blanco
Mission
The purpose of Juneteenth Oberlin, Inc., is to facilitate and coordinate the community recognition, celebration, promotion, and understanding of the City of Oberlin’s officially declared and established Juneteenth holiday.
Celebrating the 150th Anniversary of John Brown's Raid on the United States Armory and Arsenal at Harper's Ferry, West Virginia, and the men from Oberlin who were with him: John A. Copeland, Jr., Shields Green, and Lewis S. Leary!
Click on the photo of John Brown below to read A Voice From Harper's Ferry by Osborne P. Anderson, a survivor of John Brown's provisional army that seized the arsenal at Harper's Ferry.
Click the link above to learn the history of Juneteenth Celebrations
Contact Us:
Juneteenth Oberlin, Inc.
M.P.O. Box 0374
Oberlin, Ohio 44074-0374
Phone: 440.935.0201 [message only]
