The Black Platteville Community Network will hold the first Juneteenth celebration in Smith Park Friday at 5 p.m.

Juneteenth commemorates June 19, 1865, when Union Army soldiers arrived at Galveston, Texas, bringing with them the news for enslaved African–Americans in Texas, the final group of slaves, that the Civil War had ended and that they had been freed by the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863.

The theme of the first Juneteenth celebration will be "Black Resilience," according to the event's organizers. Scheduled events include a brief lecture and Q&A at 5:30 p.m. led by UW–Platteville Prof. Frank King and UW–Madison doctoral student Sakara Wages, on Juneteenth history and hidden or not-well-elevated stories of black experiences in the U.S. Food, games, music with a DJ, art and voter registration are also scheduled.

Grant County Health Department guidelines will be followed, with social spacing and facemask-wearing strongly encouraged and hand sanitizer provided.

For more information, call (608) 301-5328 or email blkplattcom@gmail.com.