LAWTON – Later this month, Lawton will observe the 157th anniversary of the day when enslaved African Americans in Texas learned they were free.
The city will celebrate Juneteenth, which was designated as a federal holiday in 2021, from 3:45 to 7 p.m. June 18 at the Patterson Community Center, 4 NE Arlington Ave. The event will begin with an opening ceremony from 3:30 to 4:45 p.m., followed by food, entertainment and fun from 5 to 7 p.m.
This year’s celebration has twofold significance, according to a news release from City Hall. This is the first year that Juneteenth will be observed as a national holiday, and it is the first year without local Juneteenth founder and organizer Albert Johnson Sr.
For more information, call the center at (580) 581-3485.