Photo provided by the city of Harper Woods Eastpointe to host Juneteenth program Advertisement EASTPOINTE — A program celebrating Juneteenth will be hosted in Eastpointe featuring a showing of the film “Black Panther.” Each year, people across the country celebrate Juneteenth, the commemoration of the end of slavery in the United States. Word of the Emancipation Proclamation took time to travel during the Civil War, and slaves in Texas learned June 19, 1865, that they were free. This will be the first time a celebration of Juneteenth has taken place in Eastpointe. It is being organized by Eastpointe resident Akeyla Bonner. “This event was created to celebrate the diversity of Eastpointe and to educate people about the history of Juneteenth and to celebrate Black entrepreneurship, artistry and culture,” Bonner explained. “I definitely think that Juneteenth has become more important with the current climate of the world, particularly with issues of police brutality and the legacy of racism toward African Americans. I think it has caused a lot of people to research their history and learn more about the legacy of African Americans. Juneteenth is the actual Independence Day for African Americans. The Fourth of July is more of a day to hang out with family and celebrate, while Juneteenth is more a day of reverence for them.”