North Dakota Juneteenth celebrations draw more interest and awareness in 2025, organizers say
Jerome Zamgba speaks on stage during the Jamestown Juneteenth event on June 12, 2025. He served on the planning committee for the event. (Photo contributed by Lisa Lang/Happy Mermaid Photography)
Sharing culture. Sharing history. Bringing the community together. That's how people should commemorate Juneteenth, according to North Dakota organizers and advocates for the federal holiday.
Juneteenth events across the state kicked off last week in Jamestown, but more community celebrations are scheduled in Fargo, Grand Forks, Minot, Moorhead and Bismarck in coming days, giving North Dakotans a chance to commune with neighbors, families and friends.
One of the featured speakers at the upcoming Juneteenth events, Frederick Edwards Jr. of Fargo, said he's noticed an expanded interest in the still relatively new national holiday. He said sharing the commemoration with a wide swath of people is a way for members of the Black community to share their collective history with those who may not have been exposed to it.
'Because it is no longer seen as a secretive, mystery event, I think it does get a pedigree of importance,' Edwards said. 'People are OK even talking about Juneteenth, whereas three or four years ago a person wouldn't have even asked me what I'm doing for Juneteenth.'
Edwards founded a nonprofit focused on creating connections through cultural exchanges called Fred's Dissonance. He said the holiday commemorates African Americans overcoming chattel slavery, and the sharing of that history with people from every generation can bring communities closer together.
He said celebrations of Juneteenth happened every year in the Twin Cities and other communities where Edwards lived even if it had only become a national holiday in 2021. He said the holiday is similar to an African-American independence day.
'People celebrate collectively at my events, and I know all across America they are having Juneteenth events that people can tap into,' Edwards said.
Former North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum signed a bill in 2021 that recognizes June 19 as Juneteenth to commemorate the ending of slavery. Still, it is not an official North Dakota state holiday. Several county courthouses are closed.
Gov. Kelly Amstrong issued a Juneteenth proclamation that stated the national holiday recognizes 'the triumph of the human spirit over slavery' and commemorates the 'strength and resolve of Black Americans throughout our national history.'
The holiday is growing. Edwards said he used to have to solicit donations from communities in order to have the funds to put on some of his events, but he doesn't have to do that anymore because of expanded knowledge and engagement around Juneteenth.
People have access to free digital toolkits through the National Museum of African American History and Culture for organizers to use to set up their own Juneteenth events, or for anyone to learn more about the holiday on their own, he added.
If organizations or groups need help planning a future Juneteenth event, Edwards said he'd also be willing to give them advice on how to organize the celebration, no matter the size of the city or town.
'My philosophy is community power sharing. My liberation is your healing,' he said.
Lyn Dockter-Pinnick, chair of the North Dakota Human Rights Coalition Board, said Juneteenth is more important than ever as some people attempt to 'whitewash' American history and demonize previously celebrated ideals like diversity, equity and inclusion.
'For the community that is honoring Juneteenth to allow the rest of us in, first of all, I think is amazing,' Dockter-Pinnick said. 'And secondly, including all of us is a way to recognize the diversity of this country and just never forget where we've been.'
Edwards attended the second annual Juneteenth event in Jamestown earlier this month and said he was inspired to see about 250 people attend — even in the rain.
Heather McDougall, chair of the planning committee for Jamestown's Juneteenth event, said people in the community seemed more receptive to the event this year.
'The first year was such a good success and really showed people that it is a celebration,' McDougall said. 'It's about celebrating everyone in our community and our country's evolution, and honoring all of that.'
She said the planning committee tripled in size, from four to 12, for this year's event.
'I think we more than doubled our fundraising, which was essential to pull off this year's event,' McDougall said.
To commemorate the holiday, McDougall suggested connecting with people who are celebrating and asking questions.
'Just be open, and curious, and ready to learn,' she said. 'It's the value of community. No matter who you are, what you look like, just knowing that there are people who are willing to show up for each other in that kind of a setting, that just builds bonds that can go so much further than the event itself.'
Jerome Zamgba, a member of Jamestown's Juneteenth planning committee, is an immigrant from Liberia who came to the United States in 2006. After living in Pennsylvania, he moved to Jamestown in 2019 and opened JayCon Grocery.
He said he met Edwards at the 2023 Juneteenth event in Fargo, which prompted him to help bring a similar celebration to Jamestown the following year.
'If we talk about celebrating this holiday, we talk about celebrating Americans,' Zamgba said. 'What we want to do is to bring people together, not just Africans, or African Americans, but everybody to come together to celebrate this.'
He said the Emancipation Proclamation was about more than just ending slavery.
'It was a good thing for America to have a better image of our country, of our people, and the things that happened, to do away with them and just come together,' he said.
Zamgba said the Jamestown Juneteenth planning group hopes to introduce a new event next year in Valley City.
'Everything starts from somewhere,' he said.
Upcoming Juneteenth events will be held on:
June 19 in Moorhead, Minn., on the Bell Tower lawn near the Knutson Campus Center at Concordia College from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.
June 19 in Grand Forks at University Park from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.
June 21 in Fargo at Black Coffee and Waffle Bar from noon to 3 p.m. and Broadway Square from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m.
June 21 in Minot at Oak Park from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
June 28 in Bismarck at Kiwanis Park from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m.
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