The Greater Lansing community has sought to keep the legacy of these celebrations alive and continue to celebrate African American culture from the outskirts of the city to the heart of MSU.

Lansing Juneteenth Celebration

In the city of Lansing, the celebrations run deep, beginning in 1993 and flourishing over the years. The vision of the celebration brought to the city in ‘93 was from Douglasville, Texas native Gordon Haskins, who wanted the holiday celebrated in Michigan, specifically in the state capital, as it was in his home state.

Over the years, the celebrations have moved from the CME Mask Memorial Church to the St. Joseph Park, where they are held to this day.

The church also hosts keynote speakers during the events; this year’s is the owner of The Bingman Group LLC, Teresa A. Bingman, an Okemos native who has also served as a keynote speaker in years past and is continuing to spread awareness throughout her Lansing community.

“I have delivered keynote addresses and accepted awards at various events, but this is a special honor because of the Juneteenth celebration and what Juneteenth means to me as a Black woman who is the great-granddaughter of a former slave,” Bingman said. “I'm excited, I'm honored and I'm very interested in delivering some messages that I hope will inspire individuals who are on this freedom journey with me.”

Now, under the organization of the celebrations, two very special projects have been created: the Juneteenth Coloring and Activity Storybook, which was published in 2004, and a yearly essay and scholarship program that encourages students to learn about the history of Juneteenth through research and writing.

These projects, along with community involvement in the celebrations, work to keep the legacy of Juneteenth alive.

MSU Juneteenth Celebration

In addition to the celebrations in Lansing, MSU hosts their own event. Taking place at the College of Communications, Arts and Sciences, the event's various keynote speakers hosted a Q&A following the screening of a documentary, “Afrofantastic: The Transformative World of Afrofuturism.” The documentary not only recognizes the artists and community members of the future, but also strongly embraces Black people and culture in ways that the history of the world never did. 

 MSU English Professor Julian Chambliss was recognized as a keynote speaker. Chambliss said holding this kind of event and celebration at the university is a great way to recognize the goal set forth by having Juneteenth as a national holiday.

It also helps to celebrate and engage with the history of Black America and account for the ways Black people have shaped the country's perspectives on history and culture, he said.

“For MSU to have a real commitment to Juneteenth, I think is an important role for a public institution to have, recognizing cultures as we do for many holidays that speak to the personal experiences of the American population,” Chambliss said. “For me, personally, I always think of Juneteenth as both something that reflects the past, but also engages with a positive take on the future.”

For the university, the legacy of celebrations is something that has just begun.

“This is such a new holiday that everytime we do something on campus, we’re helping to establish what that holiday means,” Chambliss said. “It is healthy to create a new commemorative landscape… We help to change a commemorative landscape in the United States in a way that is forging a vision of commemoration for the future that's more inclusive and more transformative.”

These celebrations will continue to commemorate the abolishment of slavery in the U.S. and celebrate Black history for years to come.

“There is a core committee in Lansing that's not only committed to keeping (Juneteenth) alive, but also to empowering the next generation to keep this celebration and the history and knowledge of our history alive in this community,” Bingman said.