NORFOLK, Va. — As Norfolk prepares for a packed June weekend featuring Harborfest's 50th anniversary, Sail250 and waterfront concerts headlined by Patti LaBelle and Sister Sledge, organizers of a longtime Juneteenth celebration in Diggs Town say they're confident their event's identity will remain intact.
The annual Juneteenth parade and celebration, centered around Richard A. Tucker Memorial Library in Norfolk's Campostella and Diggs Town area, returns June 20 with a parade, live entertainment, cultural exhibits and family activities.
For organizer Bilal Muhammad, the event is about much more than a day of festivities.
Watch related coverage: Juneteenth, Sail250 ship parade, Harborfest festivities set for downtown Norfolk
"We feel that it must start right here in the Diggs Town community," Muhammad said. "This is the starting point of us spreading the word."
Juneteenth commemorates June 19, 1865, when Union soldiers arrived in Galveston, Texas, and informed enslaved people that they were free — more than two years after President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation. The holiday has become a nationwide celebration of freedom, Black history and culture, and was recognized as a federal holiday in 2021.
This year, Norfolk's official citywide Juneteenth celebration will take place June 19 at Town Point Park in partnership with Festevents. The event will feature free concerts by Sister Sledge featuring Sledgendary and Patti LaBelle, along with fireworks, food and family-friendly activities as part of Harborfest and Sail250 festivities.
Watch previous coverage: 'We need to set an example:' Hampton Roads Juneteenth celebrations take center stage
The overlap initially raised concerns among some community leaders that neighborhood-based Juneteenth celebrations could be overshadowed by larger downtown events.
Muhammad said he no longer sees it that way.
"I think Juneteenth going to have enough space for everybody," he said. "We applaud the City of Norfolk having it downtown Norfolk, having it at the Waterside. We want education to spread."
At the same time, Muhammad believes it is important to preserve the celebration's roots in neighborhoods like Diggs Town, Berkley and Oakleaf Forest.
The June 20 celebration marks the fifth annual Juneteenth event and fourth annual parade organized around the Tucker Library campus.
The day begins with a parade at 10 a.m. before transitioning into a festival featuring cultural exhibits, speakers, local leaders, food vendors, entertainment and an appearance by the Buffalo Soldiers.
"It's going to be a lot of fun," Muhammad said. "We're going to have speakers, city officials, cultural exhibits, the Buffalo Soldiers will be with us. We got entertainment for our youth."
Muhammad said one reason the event has continued to grow is because neighbors have embraced it as an annual tradition.
"It had grown to the level where the community began to merge together," he said. "The community began to appreciate the value of what Juneteenth has to offer."
As the leader of the Stop the Violence Team, Muhammad also sees the celebration as an opportunity to positively impact young people.
"This is a motivation and inspiration for our future and educating our children about Juneteenth," he said.
He believes events like the parade can strengthen relationships within neighborhoods and provide alternatives to violence.
"When we bring more relationship in our community, we bring more love and appreciation, and we value who we have among us," Muhammad said. "That violence is not the key, but love and appreciation."
Organizers are also looking ahead to the future.
A permanent stage is currently under construction at Richard A. Tucker Memorial Library, a project Muhammad hopes will be completed in time for next year's Juneteenth celebration.
For now, however, the focus remains on bringing neighbors together to celebrate history, culture and community.
"This is the Freedom Day. This is the day of celebration," Muhammad said. "Most of all, it's about educating the community."
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