DENVER — In honor of the third year Juneteenth will be celebrated in Colorado as an official state holiday, a new mural was unveiled Wednesday.
It's on a wall along Noble Riot Wine Bar in The Alley off 27th St. between Larimer and Walnut Streets.
Artist Thomas Evans, also known as Detour, crafted the mural as part of a series of Juneteenth murals as part of the Absolute Equality initiative. Detour is behind a few popular murals across the Mile High City you may have seen or heard about, including one off E Colfax Ave. depicting the Denver Nuggets.
Denver's Juneteenth mural features Clara Brown, the first Black woman to cross the plains and settle in Colorado during the Gold Rush. Detour said he wanted this mural to depict a "past, present and future" narrative.
Rino’s newest mural is complete - just in time for #Juneteenth! It’s part of the “Absolute Equality” Juneteenth mural series in LA, DC, Atlanta, and now Denver.
— Adria Iraheta (@AdriaOnAir) June 19, 2024
📍 Noble Riot Wine Bar, 27th St. @DenverChannel pic.twitter.com/NjouhbWZqF
Different murals are also on display in Los Angeles, Washington, D.C. and Atlanta as part of the Juneteenth series from Absolute Equality.
June 19 celebrates the day enslaved people in Texas learned they were free in 1865 — two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was issued. The name Juneteenth is short for June 19th.
It's the first federal holiday to be established since Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day 40 years ago. While celebrations have gone on much longer, CSU assistant professor of ethnic studies Ray Black said, recognizing Juneteenth is like a combination of Independence and Memorial Days.
Holiday
Juneteenth celebrations across the U.S. commemorate the abolition of slavery
"Juneteenth is a way to celebrate being free in all shapes," Black said. "It's a new holiday, but it's a door for getting to know your neighbors, getting to know aspects of your community that you may not interact with on a daily basis."
In observance of Junteenth, there's no mail delivery. Post offices, banks and the U.S. Stock Markets close. City, county, state and federal offices also shut down for the day. Many pools and recreation centers also close.
"Real Talk with Denver7 and CPR News" has a special episode about Juneteenth and its celebration of black achievements. You can find that episode and many more here.
