On Saturday, June 13, 2015, Arlington's Southeast Branch Library hosted over 100 members of the community coming together to remember and commemorate the 150^th anniversary of Juneteenth. Dr. Geoffrey Mitchell kicked off the event with his presentation of "Beyond Juneteenth: From Plantation to Presidency".

The event was emceed magnificently by Chris Huff, Animal Services Manager for the City of Arlington. She kept the crowd entertained with Juneteenth trivia giveaways in between introducing the speakers and performers.

One of the youngest members of the audience won a prize for knowing the exact date of Juneteenth. Participants in the event included Step By Step Dance Studio, the SE TCC Jazz Combo, Animal Services Heritage Team winner Taylor Kennedy, MLK Spirit of Service Award winner Nadajalah Bennett, and the honorable Kathryn Wilemon Mayor Pro Tem, presenting a City of Arlington Juneteenth Proclamation.

Dr. Mitchell gave a dramatic reading of the General Order # 3 to the enthusiastic crowd. This community event was made possible by the partnering of eight organizations, including the Arlington Historical Society, who contributed two display cases of Arlington history.

Everyone in attendance took home copies of the Emancipation Proclamation, special Juneteenth bookmarks and a better understanding of an important chapter of American history.