Juneteenth/ Prince George's County revises its budget and then passes it/ Juneteenth Celebrations in Maryland
Of course you know the history of Juneteenth. It is the announcement to enslaved Black people and white enslavers in Texas that The Emancipation Proclamation had abolished chattel slavery.
General Order No. 3, delivered by Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger on June 19, 1865 stated:
The people [of Texas] are informed that, in accordance with a proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free. This involves an absolute equality of personal rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves, and the connection heretofore existing between them becomes that between employer and hired labor. The freedmen are advised to remain [quietly] at their present homes and work for wages. They are informed that they will not be allowed to collect at military posts and that they will not be supported in idleness either there or elsewhere.
It is always important to note that enslaved Black people didn’t need the Emancipation Proclamation to know that freedom was something they deserved. The Emancipation Proclamation restructured America. It ensured a legal freedom for Black people and protection through the law.
Self-emancipation had always been an ethic within the Black communities throughout the Americas. This is well documented. This is also true for Black people in Texas. A lot of the enslaved Black people in Texas had already self-emancipated. Grangers’s announcement to enslaved Black people and white enslavers came two years after the proclamation had already passed legislation in 1863.
As I have stated before, The Emancipation Proclamation didn’t immediately free enslaved Black people in Maryland. Maryland was a border state. President Lincoln had declared it so, and therefore they were somewhat free to end slavery when they wanted. Eventually it did. Maryland’s “Juneteenth”, if you will, happened on Nov. 1, 1864, a year after the Emancipation Proclamation declared enslaved Black people free.
Juneteenth Events
Self-Emancipators History
Thursday, June 18, 2026 - Sunday, June 21, 2026
Ticket Price: Free
Age: All ages welcome. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Walk ins welcome.
Event Category: All Ages, Black History, Free
Marietta Historic Site & Museum
301-464-5291 mariettahouse@pgparks.com5626 Bell Station Road
Glenn Dale, MD
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Juneteenth Festival
Saturday, June 18 12:00pm - 5:00pm
Watkins Regional Park - 301 Watkins Park Dr, Upper Marlboro, MD 20774
This free family event is open to the public. As a part of the Department of Park and Recreation’s mission to provide exciting and unique cultural programming to county residents, the Juneteenth celebration is a must-attend event that will surely delight all.
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JLPGC’s 6th Annual Juneteenth Celebration
ByJunior League of Prince George’s County
180 followers13 events1y hosting970 total attendees
Follow Laurel Branch Library, PGCMLSLaurel, MD
Sunday, June 14 • 2 PM - 4 PM
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National Harbor Celebration
Click here to see the National Harbor’s Juneteenth Celebrations
Big News
Maryland Voter Guide 2026: Prince George’s County at-large and 5th Congressional district races
Excerpt: For the first time in 45 years the seat, held by retiring Democratic Congressman Steny Hoyer that that spans parts of Prince George’s and Anne Arundel counties, as well as much of southern Maryland, is up for grabs. And with 24 names on the ballot, it’s impossible to predict who will win.
“I have never seen anything like it,” pollster Patrick Gonzalez told WAMU in an interview.
He has been working elections since 1985 and says he can’t remember a race that had this many candidates.
“To me, this is the type of race where I really think it’s just gonna be driven by name ID,” he continued.
Because of Maryland’s winner-take-all system, campaigns we interviewed estimated needing between 25,000 and 30,000 votes to pull ahead — as few as the voters in a single district in Prince George’s County.
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Prince George’s County Council Passes Revised Budget; Park and Planning Commission Sues Council
Excerpt: In an unprecedented move, Prince George’s County Executive Aisha Braveboy (D) returned the budget for a revision vote before the County Council while citing numerical and clerical errors within the budget that passed in late May. These errors, which have since been corrected, mean that the Council did not officially pass a balanced budget before the June 1 deadline.County Council Chair Krystal Oridaha (D-District 7) noted staff turnover as one of the factors leading to delays and errors in the budget process.
“Anytime you have people doing the budget for the first time, there might be things that they are learning and mistakes that they can make,” Council Chair Krystal Oriadha said following a vote to address prior errors in the budget on June 9.
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PGCPS Selects Interim Superintendent Shawn Joseph for Long-Term Leadership
Excerpt: Shawn Joseph, who has been serving as interim superintendent for Prince George’s County Public Schools (PGCPS) since July 2025, will officially continue leading one of the 20 largest school systems in the U.S. with more than 130,000 students total, following a nationwide search.
“I’m pleased to welcome Dr. Joseph home to Prince George’s County, and I look forward to partnering with him and the Board of Education to chart a positive path forward,” Prince George’s County Executive Aisha Braveboy said during a press conference on June 1. “This is a pivotal moment for the school system and it’s an opportunity to reimagine what’s possible for our students and families.”
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In politics: Hoyer votes a Hoyer-free ballot, Percy convicted, Schmoke steps down
Excerpt: Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-5th) showed up at the Mechanicsville Volunteer Fire Department Wednesday morning and did something he hasn’t done since the early 1980s — voted for someone other than Steny Hoyer for the 5th District seat.
“For the first time in 60 years I’m not on the ballot,” Hoyer said to election workers at the early voting center after casting his ballot for Del. Adrian Boafo (D-Prince George’s), whom he endorsed to succeed him in the district that includes St. Mary’s, Charles and Calvert counties and parts of Prince George’s and Anne Arundel counties.
Hoyer announced in January he wouldn’t seek reelection to the seat he has held for 45 years. Hoyer, who celebrated his 87th birthday Sunday, was first elected to the state Senate in 1966, at age 27.
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The Long War Against Michelle Obama’s Womanhood
Excerpt: Most Americans have never heard of Josh Hokit, and probably couldn’t pick the failed pro football player-turned-UFC fighter out of a photo lineup.
But on Sunday night, after winning the biggest fight of his life on the White House lawn in front of President Donald Trump, Hokit decided that directing a line of tired, worn-out misogynoir at former First Lady Michelle Obama would extend his 15 minutes of MAGA fame.