🎆 How to celebrate Juneteenth

🍨 The Best Ice Cream in Nashville

With temperatures rising, it’s the perfect time to go on an ice cream tour of the city. On today’s City Cast Nashville podcast, we’re reviewing some of the best local ice cream shops, from cookie sandwiches to lactose-free options. [🎧 City Cast Nashville]

🛣️ Percy Warner Heirs Contest Proposed Road to Cheekwood

Descendants of Colonel Luke Lea, who donated land that would become Percy Warner Park, are threatening to take the property back from Metro, claiming a proposed road to Cheekwood cutting through the park would violate the original agreement. In a statement, the descendants said, “We do not want to take possession of this land; we simply want the terms of the covenant to be honored.” [Nashville Banner]

🗳️ Candidates Eye Soon-To-Be-Vacant Seat

Democratic state Reps. Vincent Dixie and Bo Mitchell are seriously considering a run for Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District, which includes parts of Nashville, after Rep. Mark Green announced his plans to retire early. State commissioner Matt Van Epps has announced a run on the Republican side, and several GOP lawmakers are being reported as potential candidates. [Nashville Scene]

🤸🏿‍♀️ Groundbreaking Gymnastics Program To End

Three years ago, Fisk University launched the first Historically Black College and University women’s gymnastics program. However, scheduling competitions and recruiting talent has been challenging, and the university will end the program in 2026. The program’s star, Morgan Price, recently decided to transfer to a different school. [Nashville Banner]

• Watch this five-minute ABC News feature about the program [YouTube]

The National Museum of African American History and Culture refers to Juneteenth as our country’s second independence day. Short for “June Nineteenth,” it is also known as “Freedom Day” and “Emancipation Day.”

What Is Juneteenth?

On Jan. 1, 1863, Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation, which declared that all enslaved people who were in states that rebelled against the Union were now free. In the lead-up to the end of the Civil War in April 1865, Union soldiers traveled throughout Confederate states to read the proclamation.

On June 19, 1865, federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas, where the news had not yet reached enslaved people. They were the last to hear about their freedom. The following year, June 19 became a day of remembrance and “Jubilee Day” for the over 250,000 newly freed people. Juneteenth has since been widely celebrated in the African American community and is especially significant in Galveston.

How To Celebrate Juneteenth in Nashville

• Juneteenth615 Restaurant Week is June 12-22. Feast on special or discounted menu items at 25 Black-owned restaurants.
• On Saturday, June 14, cyclists can participate in the Juneteenth Freedom Day Ride.
• Nashville’s best block party, Black on Buchanan, is June 14, with live music, arts and crafts, vendors, and food trucks. While free, you can pay for tickets to get access to things like VIP-only bathrooms, complimentary drinks, and reserved seating.
• The free Music City Freedom Fest at Hadley Park runs June 14-15, and includes vendors, food trucks, family-friendly activities, and live music.
• Listen to the Nashville African American Wind Symphony at the Schermerhorn Symphony Center on Monday, June 16.
• On Juneteenth, June 19, spend your morning at the National Museum of African American Music’s free community day.
• Later, go to Nashville’s big, free Juneteenth 615 celebration at Fort Negley, with live historical reenactments, music, food trucks, and fireworks.