WeRISE for Greater Westerville Hosts Juneteenth Events

WeRISE for Greater Westerville and community partners, including Otterbein University, invites the entire community to attend the following events celebrating Juneteenth. This year, Juneteenth falls on Friday, June 19, 2026.

Friday, June 19 

1-4 p.m.: Westerville Public Library, 126 S. State St. 

African American Literature with special guest, children’s author J.P. Mitchell

6-8 p.m.: Birdie Books, 74 N. State St. 

A night of Jazz and spoken word. Come read your favorite pieces by African American authors and listen to local jazz provided by Jack Thompson.

Saturday, June 20 

12-3 p.m.: Family Room Coffee and Bake Shop, 545 S. Otterbein Ave. 

Bring the family for art and games.

About Juneteenth 

Juneteenth marks an important event in our nation’s history — one that was overlooked for much of the United States of America’s 250 years. 

In school, generations of children have learned about the Emancipation Proclamation issued by President Abraham Lincoln on Jan. 1, 1863; about Confederate General Robert E. Lee surrendering to Union General Ulysses S. Grant on April 9, 1865, essentially ending the Civil War; and about the 13th Amendment abolishing slavery, which was passed by Congress on Jan. 31, 1865. 

What many children did not learn was that the Confederate state of Texas ignored all orders to free enslaved people and, in fact, became a safe haven where enslavers from other Confederate states resettled to continue to benefit from the oppressive system.    

Most enslaved people in Texas did not know they were legally free until June 19, 1865, when federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas, to ensure that all enslaved people be freed. This was a full TWO AND A HALF YEARS after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation.    

Juneteenth honors the end to slavery in the United States and is considered the longest-running African American holiday. Juneteenth officially became a federal holiday in the United States on June 17, 2021, when President Joe Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act into law. 

During those years, Otterbein was also contending with its own place in history. Otterbein was founded in 1847 years ago — before the Civil War — by Abolitionists who believed in diversity, equity, and inclusion. Its history includes many instances in which the University has excelled at living those values, along with times when it failed to live up to them.  

William Hanby, one of Otterbein’s founders, was the third generation of his family bound by indentured servitude. When he escaped from an abusive master at the age of 19, he dedicated his life “to the attainment of the blessings of religion, of education, and human freedom.”  

Hanby became a United Brethren bishop and, with Rev. Lewis Davis, founded Otterbein. Hanby and Davis were active members of Underground Railroad along with Hanby’s son, Benjamin, who wrote the anti-slavery ballad “Darling Nellie Gray.” 

While Otterbein was founded in 1847 as a University open to all men and women, regardless of race, Otterbein’s first Black student, William Hannibal Thomas, did not enrolled until 1859. He withdrew in 1860, after suffering discrimination and abuse. In 1916, Otterbein sought to make amends with Thomas, honoring him for his service in the Civil War. In 1922, Otterbein honored him once again with a commemorative medal for Otterbein’s 75th anniversary. 

He died in 1935 and was buried in the Otterbein Cemetery. The grave of William Hannibal Thomas was unmarked until 1977, when a history student contacted the Veterans Administration to rectify the situation. You can find his grave there today.  

In 1893, William Henry Fouse became the first Black student to graduate from Otterbein. Learning from the mistakes of the past, Otterbein’s community welcomed Fouse, who took an active role in student life. He played clarinet in the music ensemble, served on the editorial staff of the student newspaper, and gave a commencement speech, “A Plea for the Afro-American.” He went on to a distinguished career in education. In 1937, Otterbein awarded him an honorary doctorate degree.