Juneteenth, or June 19th, marks the abolition of slavery in the United States. Following the enactment of President Lincoln’s, Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, those who were held as slaves in Confederate states were deemed free. However, there were still areas of the Confederate states that were engaged in slavery. On June 19, 1865, Major General Gordon Granger ordered that slaves in the Confederate states be set free. Texas was the last Confederate State to practice slavery. Later, in December 1865, the XIII Amendment was ratified deeming slavery illegal in the United States. The remnants of slavery in Kentucky and Delaware were also dissolved.  Since then, Juneteenth has been a day of celebration in the United States and is now officially recognized as a federated holiday.

At the conclusion of the evening, Dr. Cappucci presented a personal surprise donation to Sandwich First Baptist Church’s Underground Railroad Museum in the amount of $1,865. The amount was chosen to mark the first Juneteenth on June 19, 1865. The gift was accepted by Elder Lana Talbot, Pastor Bruce Bishop, Rev. Cid Latty, and Ms. Carmen Carter.

The first Juneteenth celebration was celebrated in Windsor on June 19, 2025 at Westview Freedom Academy. The event was co-sponsored by Assumption University and Sandwich First Baptist Church with Dr. John Cappucci and Elder Lana Talbot as the inaugural co-chairs. For the celebration, both the Canadian and Black national anthems were sung with Mr. Jim Walls accompanying on the piano. University of Windsor librarian, Ms. Antoinette Seymour followed with an overview of Juneteenth. Dr. Cappucci read President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation. Elder Talbot lead the singing of the traditional hymn, “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot.” Chair of the Black Council of Windsor-Essex, Ms. Leslie McCurdy recited Maya Angelou’s famous poem, “Caged Bird.”  A discussion panel followed, which included, Mr. Marvin Barnes (Presiding Clerk of the Religious Society of Friends General Conference), Ms. Amber Mitchell (Curator of Black History at the Henry Ford Museum), and Elder McCair Tulloch (Interdenominational Minister and J.D. Candidate). The event was generously supported through the Dr. John Beck Fund in Dialogue at Assumption University and Sandwich First Baptist Church.

Juneteenth 2026

Juneteenth 2025