Peerless Rockville and Jerusalem-Mt. Pleasant United Methodist Church will host a Juneteenth Festival on Saturday, June 22.
The festival commemorates June 19, 1865, when Union troops enforced the Emancipation Proclamation in Texas, freeing 250,000 enslaved Black Texans. Juneteenth is now observed annually nationwide on June 19.
The event will feature two educational lectures. The first, “Jerusalem: A Pillar of Faith and Community,” begins at 12 p.m. Church historian Chiquita Sorrels will discuss the history of Jerusalem-Mt. Pleasant, Rockville’s oldest active church. She will cover its evolution from a racially mixed congregation in 1835 to an all-Black congregation post-Civil War.
The second lecture, “Juneteenth: Rockville Troops in Texas,” starts at 2 p.m. This presentation will highlight the service of Rockville’s U.S. Colored Troop soldiers in Texas during Juneteenth. These troops, part of nearly 180,000 Black soldiers in the Union Army, played a crucial role in the Union’s success and post-war occupation of Texas.
The festival will also offer food sales, performances, kid’s activities, a yard sale, and more. Proceeds will support the restoration of the church’s historic stained glass windows. Lectures are free, with donations encouraged for the window restoration fund. Learn more and get a free ticket here.
