Juneteenth is on Monday, June 19, commemorating the day slavery was finally abolished in the US, nearly two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation. Earlier in May of this year, Tennessee signed a bill moving it from a day of special observance to a legal holiday recognized by the state.

Here are ways you can honor the day and its history around town:

Informational events

Book Chatt Connection with African American Literature and Authors | Wednesday, June 14 | 10:30-11:30 a.m. | The Chattanooga Public Library, 1001 Broad St. | Enjoy an hour of discussion + listening to literature from Black voices.

Juneteenth Art Museum | Wednesday, June 14-Thursday, June 15 | 10 a.m.-12 p.m. | Avondale Library, 1305 Dodson Ave. | Free | Make Juneteenth art for the library + see a special display of photographs of Black-owned businesses in Chattanooga’s history on loan from City Hall.

Note: The Chattanooga Public Library will host Juneteenth programming all month long at its various branches — check out the full list.

Black in Appalachia | Thursday, June 15 | 6 p.m. | Stove Works, 1250 E. 13th St. | Free, donations encouraged | Learn about the history of Emancipation Celebrations across Appalachia + how the African American communities contributed to the culture in the mountains. Bonus: Stove Works will have the exhibit "Y'all Don't Hear Me: The Black Appalachia" on display now through Saturday, July 8.

Last year's Legacy Music Festival was a tribute to the Harlem Cultural Festival. | Photo by @chattblackartsfestival

Festivals + arts

Juneteenth Freedom Walk + Run | Saturday, June 17 | 8 a.m. | Hubert Fry Center, 4301 Amnicola Hwy. | $35-$70 | Honor Opal Lee, the activist who in 2016 walked from her home in Fort Worth, TX, to the nation's capital in an effort to get Juneteenth named a national holiday.