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Juneteenth celebrations are set to kick off across the country this week despite waning support amid the Trump administration's attack on DEI.
On Thursday (June 19), cities across the U.S will celebrate Juneteenth, a federal holiday commemorating the day the last enslaved people in Texas were told they were free in 1865.
Upcoming Juneteenth celebrations are facing challenges this year as several federal grants have been canceled under the Trump administration and brands roll back their diversity initiatives following the president's executive order to eliminate DEI in government, per the Associated Press.
In Denver, more than a dozen companies backed out of supporting the Juneteenth Music Festival, one of the city's biggest celebrations.
“There were quite a few sponsors who pulled back their investments or let us know they couldn’t or wouldn’t be in a position to support this year,” Norman Harris, executive director of JMF Corporation, which puts on the event, said.
With donations from individuals and foundations, the festival is still set to take place in Denver's Five Points neighborhood, but celebrations have been scaled back to one day instead of two.
“Thankfully, there was a wide range of support that came when we made the announcement that the celebration is in jeopardy,” Harris said.
In West Virginia, the office of Republican Gov. Patrick Morrisey, who signed a bill last month ending all diversity programs, announced that it wouldn't be hosting any Juneteenth events for the first time since 2017.
“Due to the continued fiscal challenges facing West Virginia, state government will not be sponsoring any formal activities,” deputy press secretary Drew Galang said in a statement.
Morrisey also declined to give state employees the day off on the federal and state holiday. A Juneteenth parade and festival in West Virginia's capital city of Charleston will still take place, but has been moved to Friday (June 20) to accommodate state workers.
“We want people, families, kids, everybody, to celebrate with us about Juneteenth,” Charleston Juneteenth organizer Ray Whiting said. “It is very sacred and it’s very special.”
In Scottsdale, Arizona, where city council members dissolved their DEI office earlier this year, the city's annual Juneteenth festival was canceled. Despite the decision, ASU Kerr in Scottsdale is hosting a Juneteenth theater show. There are also several celebrations happening in the metro area, including the RYBE Juneteenth Freedom Celebration in Phoenix, the West Alley BBQ Juneteenth Celebration in Chandler, and the Juneteenth Freedom Day Festival at the George Washington Carver Museum.
Companies also pulled their support from the Southern Colorado Juneteenth Festival in Colorado Springs.
“They have said their budgets have been cut because of DEI,” and that they can no longer afford it, planner Jennifer Smith said. Still, the festival is adapting to fewer sponsors and cuts in city funding by switching locations.
The Cooper Family Foundation typically hosts one of the largest Juneteenth celebrations in San Diego every year. However, it was among the groups informed last month that its grant from the National Endowment for the Arts was being rescinded.
Maliya Jones, who works for the foundation, said they were told the Juneteenth event no longer aligns with the agency's priorities.
“That’s $25,000 we have to figure out how we’re going to pay for,” Marla Cooper, who leads the foundation, said, noting that the event is still taking place.
“We will always have Juneteenth. And we will work it out,” she added.
Find more information about Juneteenth celebrations across the U.S. here.
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