Lafayette County Juneteenth Foundation

05/31/2026

"Narrative of William W. Brown, a Fugitive Slave" by William Wells Brown - The narrative provides a firsthand account of the brutal realities of slavery through the life experiences of the author, who escaped from bo***ge and became a prominent abolitionist. The book offers insights into the cruelty of slave-holding practices, the anguish of families being torn apart, and the relentless pursuit of freedom. You can read the complete online book here -

Free eBook digitized and proofread by volunteers.

05/31/2026

William Wells Brown was an African American antislavery lecturer, groundbreaking novelist, playwright, and historian. He is widely considered to have been the first African American to publish works in several major literary genres. Brown was born to an enslaved mother on a plantation. To learn more about William Wells Brown please see the post "Narrative of William W. Brown, a fugitive slave" The narrative provides a firsthand account of the brutal realities of slavery through the life experiences of the author, who escaped from bo***ge and became a prominent abolitionist. The book offers insights into the cruelty of slave-holding practices, the anguish of families being torn apart, and the relentless pursuit of freedom.

05/28/2026

Western University was the sole historically black university (HBCU) in Kansas, and was hailed as the “Tuskegee of the West.”
On Saturday, June 6 at 2 p.m. Central, scholar Bernard Harris explores the University’s origins and early educational mission in Quindaro, Kansas, and delves into the contributions of its vocational training program to the U.S. Army during WWI.

WWI history + Black history + Kansas City history ⤵️ ⤵️

Western University was the sole historically black university (HBCU) in Kansas, and was hailed as the “Tuskegee of the West.”

On Saturday, June 6 at 2 p.m. Central, scholar Bernard Harris explores the University’s origins and early educational mission in Quindaro, Kansas, and delves into the contributions of its vocational training program to the U.S. Army during WWI.

Free with RSVP, this is a virtual lecture. Register here: https://theworldwar.org/events/wwi-changed-us-victory-vocation-western-university-wwi

Hosted in partnership with the Greater Kansas City Black History Study Group and in conjunction with .

05/28/2026

On May 21, 1796, enslaved maid Ona Judge seized her freedom from the President's House in Philadelphia. Judge had just learned that Mrs. Washington planned to bequeath her to Eliza Custis Law, Mrs. Washington's granddaughter.In an 1845 interview published in the abolitionist newspaper The Granite Freeman (May 22, 1845), Judge says, "Whilst they were packing up to go to Virginia, I was packing to go, I didn't know where; for I knew that if I went back to Virginia, I should never get my liberty. I had friends among the colored people of Philadelphia, had my things carried there beforehand, and left Washington's house while they were eating dinner."

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05/25/2026

05/25/2026

This marker is in Galveston,Texas Erected in 2014 by the Texas Historical Commission, the marker stands at the former site of the Osterman Building, which served as the Union Army headquarters in 1865. This is the location where Major General Gordon Granger and his troops arrived on June 19, 1865, to issue General Order No. 3, officially informing the enslaved people of Texas that they were free.

05/24/2026

05/23/2026

Check out the newest entries on the blog for Lafayette County Juneteenth 🙂

The 2026 Lafayette County MO Juneteenth Celebration will be held on Friday, June 26, 2026 thru June 28, 2026. Activities will be held in Higginsville and Lexington, MO. A detailed schedule and location provided on the blog and on our page. All activities are free and family oriented. Everyo...

05/22/2026

“Once let the black man get upon his person the brass letters U.S.; let him get an eagle on his button, and a musket on his shoulder, and bullets in his pocket, and there is no power on the earth or under the earth which can deny that he has earned the right of citizenship in the United States.”- Frederick Douglass
, May 22, 1863, the War Department established the Bureau of United States Colored Troops under General Order 143. This order brought all-Black state regiments into federal service in the Civil War. By the end of the Civil War, African American men made up 10% of the entire United States Army.

“Once let the black man get upon his person the brass letters U.S.; let him get an eagle on his button, and a musket on his shoulder, and bullets in his pocket, and there is no power on the earth or under the earth which can deny that he has earned the right of citizenship in the United States.”- Frederick Douglass

, May 22, 1863, the War Department established the Bureau of United States Colored Troops under General Order 143. This order brought all-Black state regiments into federal service in the Civil War. By the end of the Civil War, African American men made up 10% of the entire United States Army.

Though the Bureau ended with the war, African Americans continued to serve in the military. Under the Army Reoganization Act on July 28, 1866,over 500 United States Colored Troops (USCT) directly transferred to one of the six new all-Black regiments. By August 1866, more than 2,500 USCT veterans reenlisted becoming the nation’s first Buffalo Soldiers.

Learn more about Buffalo Soldiers from Charles Young Buffalo Soldiers National Monument
IMAGE: Library of Congress

05/22/2026

1860 - Number of slaves in each county in Missouri. Lafayette county - over 6,000 slaves.