While several cities across the nation were celebrating freedom on June 19 and the Saturday preceding it, Ames residents went about business as usual.

June 19 is increasingly becoming known as Juneteenth Day throughout the United States.

“Juneteenth [Day] is a symbolic liberation date for African Americans,” said Gary Lawson, the organizer of the Des Moines Juneteenth Day Celebration. “Freedom in itself is significant. There are only two such movements in America. One is the Fourth of July, and the other is the 19th of June.”

At the time of the Emancipation Proclamation, not all slaves in the United States were freed. June 19th, 1865, marks the date when the last slaves in Texas were informed of their freedom, two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was issued by President Lincoln.

Celebrations for Juneteenth are usually held on the Saturday closest to June 19, as well as on the date itself.

Lawson said he has helped organize the event in Des Moines for 11 years. He said his celebration is not the only one in Iowa, but it is the largest.

Lawson started the celebration in Des Moines when he learned of one held annually in Galveston, Texas, he said.

“We wanted to have a continuing process where people could observe and be educated about Juneteenth,” he said. “Each year we try to include more and more of the community. Our goal is to take that message to a wider public.”

This year’s celebration was held at Evelyn Davis Park in Des Moines on June 16 and 17.

Lawson said the celebration has continued to gain popularity within the community and state.

He estimated this year’s celebration included 3,000 people, larger than last year’s 2,000.

Everett Reynolds, president of the Omaha affiliate of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, said Omaha has held Juneteenth celebrations for more than 29 years.

“This year I think there were three different celebrations,” he said. “There have been as many as five in the years past.”

Reynolds said that it is important for people to understand the dynamics of having a Juneteenth Celebration.

“It is a historical reminder of a struggle we have gone through in this country for freedom,” he said.

Although Reynolds said Juneteenth Day is an important celebration, Ames does not have one.

Kori Heuss of the Ames Chamber of Commerce said Ames hasn’t had a celebration because nobody has gone before city council to ask that the holiday be recognized.

“I think that Ames is really aware of cultural issues and celebrating different cultures,” Heuss said. “I don’t think it’s in any way a negative mark against the city that it has not been recognized.”

Juneteenth is not yet recognized as a national holiday, but some states have taken steps to make it one.

“There are a vast majority of states that have some form of Juneteenth legislation work in progress,” Lawson said. “I think the states of Texas, Oklahoma, Delaware, Alaska and Maryland all have a Juneteenth holiday or official observance.”

Lawson said the Iowa Legislation passed a resolution which acknowledges June 19 as a day of freedom and encourages people to celebrate it.

Although it does not formally celebrate Juneteenth Day, this fall Ames will hold a celebration recognizing the city’s diversity.

Heuss is on the planning committee for FACES or Families of Ames Celebrate Ethnicity, which will be held October 13 and 14 in downtown Ames.