Juneteenth: Then, Now, Here. – Event June 21

Juneteenth: Then, Now, Here. – Event June 21

Juneteenth: Then, Now, Here.

Carl Griffin and Gregory Reed met as Minnesota State University Moorhead students in 1968. Carl gave the speech at MSUM’s memorial service for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, which helped implement Project E-Quality, a program that gave scholarships to students of color. Gregory was one of the original Project E-Quality graduates 50 years ago. After graduating, they both returned to the Twin Cities. In 1985, Carl and Gregory helped create Minnesota’s first Juneteenth celebration. As a child, Frederick Edwards, Jr., grew up going to the Juneteenth celebrations in Minneapolis begun by Griffin and Reed. Three years ago, Edwards started Fargo’s Juneteenth celebration, which will be held on June 19 at Fargo’s Renaissance Park.

The evening event at the Hjemkomst Center, in sponsorship with Minnesota State University Moorhead’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion, will begin with Mr. Griffin and Mr. Reed reminiscing about being African American students in Moorhead in the 1960s and starting Juneteenth in Minnesota in 1985. They are both very interested in hearing how Fred Edwards began his event in Fargo. It will be a conversation about history, cultural heritage and social justice advocacy between Black community leaders of different generations. Gregory Reed is also the proprietor of Amber Books, a company specializing in African American history and literature, and he will have a selection of books for sale that day. People can attend the event in person at the museum near our exhibit Stories of Local Black History or via Zoom from home. It will be recorded for the Clay County Archives.

Location Hjemkomst Center202: 1st Ave N, Moorhead, MN 56560

Date/Time June 21, 6:30-7:30.