Juneteenth comes slowly to Indiana
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Illustration: Lindsey Bailey/Axios
Monday is Juneteenth, a holiday still gaining a foothold in Indiana.
State of play: More than half of states have followed the federal government's 2021 lead in designating Juneteenth — a day celebrating Black emancipation from enslavement — as a holiday, per Pew Research Center.
- At least 26 states and Washington, D.C., made Juneteenth a permanent holiday.
- Alabama and West Virginia will observe it this year but haven't put it into law.
- It is not an official holiday in Indiana.
Context: Juneteenth recognizes the day — more than two months after the Civil War ended — when enslaved Black people in Galveston, Texas, learned they were free.
The big picture: Juneteenth's emergence as a holiday beyond Texas has been awkward as states treat it unevenly, corporations attempt to co-opt it and community organizations struggle to plan appropriate events.
- The Children's Museum of Indianapolis last year apologized after selling "Juneteenth Watermelon Salad."
What's happening: Although it is not an official state holiday, you can celebrate Juneteenth across Indianapolis.
- The Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site is hosting the Juneteenth Foodways Festival from 4:30-8pm today.
- The Eiteljorg Museum is hosting Juneteenth & Jazz from 11am-4pm Saturday.
- The Indianapolis Public Library's central branch is hosting an event with authors, artists and musicians focused on cultural literacy from 11am-1pm Saturday.
- The Flanner House will host fireworks at about 9pm Monday.