Juneteenth celebrations are planned across the state today marking the end of slavery in 1865.
The Black Hawk County NAACP has celebrated since the 1990s, though it has only been a federal holiday for five years. The group’s president Latanya Graves says “unity” is their theme for 2026.
“With everything that’s going on in the world, we need unity, we need peace, we need love. It should just be spread broadly, spread all over, and just connect with people,” Graves says. Graves says the Black Hawk County group has advocated for the rights of all people and Juneteenth celebrates that work. “Why wouldn’t we want equality? Why wouldn’t we want equality? Why wouldn’t we want to include everyone?,” she says. The Waterloo restivities include cookouts, speakers and sports games.
There are dozens of celebrations across the state, including a festival at the African American Museum of Iowa in Cedar Rapids and a party in the Western Gateway Park, in Des Moines, which are both planned for Saturday.
(By Gavin McGough, Iowa Public Radio)