As June starts creeping up on all of us—this year has flown by, hasn’t it?—I can’t help but be excited about all the summertime fun heading my way. One of the most exciting events is my family’s annual Juneteenth party.

After talking with my friends about what their plans would be, I realized that there’s this hesitancy about how people who aren’t people of color should go about celebrating the holiday. Thus, the idea for this article was born. These are the answers to the top 10 questions people ask on how to throw a proper Juneteenth party.

Let’s get started! First off…

1. What is Juneteenth?

Officially named Juneteenth National Independence Day, this year will be the 160th Juneteenth celebration in America. On June 19th in 1865, the Union Army, led by General Gordon Granger, announced to the people of Galveston, Texas that the enslaved African Americans were free.

We know that the Civil War officially ended in April of that year, but a lot of states still rebelled despite the implementation of the Emancipation Proclamation. Even then, there were states that didn’t free enslaved people, deciding to finally end slavery with the passage of the 13th Amendment.

To the Black community, Juneteenth is significant because it gives us a time to reflect.

We are a community that understands what it means to have moments of conditional freedom, something that we always have to fight for, and this holiday gives us a chance to look at where our community has come from through the passing down of history and culture.

2. What’s the difference between Juneteenth and July 4th?

Something a lot of people ask is “Why don’t they just celebrate 4th of July? We already celebrate that one. What’s the difference?”

The main difference between July 4 and June 19 is a question of independence. On a national level, the United States declared independence from Britain on July 4th.

For Juneteenth, however, it involves one’s individual freedom. The slaves of America were able to break their shackles after nearly 250 years!

This leads into our next question:

3. How do I celebrate Juneteenth as a non-African American person?

A first great step is to show up and participate in the camaraderie. It’s as simple as that! Showing up to a celebration your community is holding allows you to have fun while learning something new. It’s the best of both worlds.

If you don’t want to throw your own party, you are sure to find a community-based event right down the street. Maybe it’s a parade or a festival. Either way, you’re sure to have a good time while immersing yourself in a different culture.

As former President Barack Obama once said, “Change will not come if we wait for some other person or if we wait for some other time. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.”

4. What are you supposed to do to celebrate Juneteenth?

Firstly, there is no correct way to celebrate Juneteenth. Some people go all out with a barbecue while others have a small gathering with their closest friends.

You can go to a museum, attend a parade, or even watch some films on African American history (Some recommendations: 13th, 12 Years a Slave, and Harriet). We all know and love Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech, urging us to unite together as one people, and that’s what we want to embody on this special day.

5. How exactly do I plan a Juneteenth party?

There are lots of ways to get the party rolling, but a safe start can be to make the invites. This can be as simple as a text message to a group chat or as complicated as a physical invitation you mail out to possible attendees.

Next, you’ll want to decide what decorations you want. Maybe you can do a sign or banner outside your house or in the yard. Maybe some Juneteenth-themed cutlery, cups, and plates will do the trick. It’s up to you!

You can also decide what kind of music—if any—you want to play, games you’d like to set up—cornhole, ring toss, or trivia, and what food you’ll want to eat. Speaking of which…

6. What is the traditional menu for Juneteenth?

A traditional Juneteenth meal can include any of the following dishes:

• Red-hued dishes (more on this later), like red velvet cake, strawberries, and watermelon
• Soul food, like fried chicken, collard greens, and cornbread
• “Good Fortune” side dishes, like black-eyed peas, red rice, or corn

7. What is the traditional drink for Juneteenth?

Honestly, any red drink you can come up with, but the most popular ones are red sodas, hibiscus teas, and variations on fruit punch.

8. Why are red foods eaten on Juneteenth?

There are a few theories as to why red foods and red drinks are enjoyed on Juneteenth. Some believe it symbolizes the blood Black African Americans shed during the slave trade.

Others think it has to do with the Yoruba and Kongo tribes enslaved in Texas who believed—and believe—that the color red means power, sacrifice, and transformation.

9. What are the colors for Juneteenth?

There are two answers to this question.

The first one is that they’re red, white, and blue. The activist Ben Haith, who designed the Juneteenth flag—which is red and blue with a white star in the middle—says the flag should have the same colors as the American flag because “our ancestors [also] helped build this country.”

Fun fact: the white star represents Texas, also known as the Lone Star State.

The second answer is that the colors are black, green, and red. These colors you’ll see often when people wave the Pan-African flag, the origins of which come from some of the African nations that were fighting colonialism in the 60s.

In this case, red symbolizes the blood “spilled for freedom,” according to Darryl M. Heller, PhD, the green represents the land, and the black is for the people.

10. What are some Juneteenth traditions?

Besides eating red foods, a tradition of Juneteenth is to put on your best clothes. “But why?” you may ask. Well, on the first ever Juneteenth, many freed individuals tossed their slave clothes into the river and donned the finest threads they had.

The holiday is all about having the freedom to do anything, especially the freedom to choose what you wear. A lot of other people go to parades, festivals, street fairs, and community gatherings held by grassroots organizations.

More importantly, you can make your own traditions! You can hold a storytime for the younger children in your family or shoot off some fireworks in your backyard.

Maybe you’ll take your family and friends to a picnic in the park or pull a lawn chair up with a (boozy) red punch to watch the local parade go by. The possibilities are truly endless.

Celebrate Juneteenth with Your Loved Ones

I can’t wait for all the comfort food my parents will be making for our celebration this year. It’s always a joy when friends and family come together to commemorate a major breakthrough in history. Black and white faces, old and young souls, all are welcome around our fire pit.

Let me know in the comments how you’ll be celebrating; and if you have any questions, I’ll be happy to answer them. Happy Juneteenth to all of you travelers out there!

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