Athens Ohio NAACP

06/24/2026

Thank you everyone who stop by our table at the Juneteenth Celebration. We have officially launched our Athens Chapter NAACP website. More details coming soon.

06/19/2026

About Juneteenth

On “Freedom’s Eve,” or the eve of January 1, 1863, the first Watch Night services took place. On that night, enslaved and free African Americans gathered in churches and private homes all across the country awaiting news that the Emancipation Proclamation had taken effect. At the stroke of midnight, prayers were answered as all enslaved people in Confederate States were declared legally free. Union soldiers, many of whom were black, marched onto plantations and across cities in the south reading small copies of the Emancipation Proclamation spreading the news of freedom in Confederate States. Only through the Thirteenth Amendment (opens in a new window) did emancipation end slavery throughout the United States.

But not everyone in Confederate territory would immediately be free. Even though the Emancipation Proclamation was made effective in 1863, it could not be implemented in places still under Confederate control. As a result, in the westernmost Confederate state of Texas, enslaved people would not be free until much later. Freedom finally came on June 19, 1865, when some 2,000 Union troops arrived in Galveston Bay, Texas. The army announced that the more than 250,000 enslaved black people in the state, were free by executive decree. This day came to be known as “Juneteenth,” by the newly freed people in Texas.

06/18/2026

Heritage Square Black History Tour with Mount Zion - 10AM at 50 S. Court St. (College Gate)

Start your Juneteenth celebration with the Heritage Square Black History Tour of Athens! During this event, local experts from the Mount Zion Black Cultural Center will guide participants around Uptown Athens to share our community's important Black history.

The tour begins at Baker Center, travels up Court Street to the Mount Zion Baptist Church on Carpenter Street, then back up Congress Street before culminating back at Baker Center.

06/17/2026

Join us at the Athena Cinema for a special Juneteenth Science on Screen event featuring Coded Bias and a thought-provoking discussion with Dr. Uzoma Miller. This powerful documentary explores how artificial intelligence and technology can unintentionally reinforce racial bias and inequality in our everyday lives.

📅 Friday, June 19
🕗 8:00 PM
📍 Athena Cinema – Athens,

Join us Friday, June 19th at 8:00 p.m. as we celebrate Juneteenth with a talk by Dr. Uzoma Miller and a special screening of a timely documentary that examines the socio-cultural biases and inequit…

06/17/2026

Juneteenth, celebrated on June 19th each year, marks our country’s second Independence Day. Although Juneteenth has long been celebrated in the Black community, this monumental event remains largely unknown to most Americans. This year's event is being hosted in partnership with the Athens County Foundation, Athens NAACP, Mount Zion Black Cultural Center, and Athens community members.

Location: Richland Avenue Park on Dairy Lane
Date: Friday, June 19th, 2026
Time: 1-4PM

06/11/2026

06/11/2026

Join us for the 2026 Juneteenth Celebration

03/09/2026

The Athens County NAACP is a local chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), the nation’s oldest and largest civil rights organization. Guided by the mission and principles of the national organization, the Athens County NAACP works to ensure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights for all people and to eliminate racial discrimination.

Serving Athens County and the surrounding Southeast Ohio region, the chapter advocates for justice, equity, and opportunity through community engagement, voter education, youth development, and partnerships with local organizations and institutions. The Athens County NAACP is committed to uplifting the voices of underrepresented communities while fostering collaboration that strengthens the entire region.

Through advocacy, education, and civic participation, the Athens County NAACP continues to carry forward the national organization’s legacy of advancing civil rights and building a more just and inclusive community.