Milwaukee Celebrates 51st Annual Juneteenth Day

Photos by Yvonne Kemp

On Sunday, June 19, 2022, the city of Milwaukee observed its 51st Juneteenth celebration. Milwaukee is home to one of the longest held Juneteenth Day celebrations in the United States. June 19, 2022 marked the 51st anniversary of the local event to commemorate Emancipation. When it first began in 1971, Milwaukee was one of the first northern cities to host such celebrations. The local parade and festivities have been organized by Northcott Neighborhood House for the past half century. In pre-pandemic years the event would attract up to 170,000 visitors. For 2022, the second year of Juneteenth being a federal holiday, the crowd capacity appeared to break all previous records. Nearly 400 vendors in booths lined King Drive from Burleigh to Center Streets, offering African-style crafts and a variety of traditional food unique to the street festival. The holiday began with the Juneteenth Parade with Mayor Cavalier Johnson as the Grand Marshal followed by opening ceremonies. The street festival concluded with a concert at Bernice and Clinton Rose Park.