We are excited that FIFA World Cup 2026™ Kansas City creates an opportunity to meet residents and visitors where they are this summer, reaching broader audiences across the region with our celebration of Juneteenth while continuing to celebrate Black history, culture and expression.

As part of this approach, the county has commissioned a signature piece of artwork titled “Field of Dreams” by local artist Daniel Montoute. It will be featured on buses and bus shelters, integrated into community events and available via digital experiences. JuneteenthKC, which leads the longest-standing Juneteenth celebration in the Kansas City metro, is a strategic partner for this effort.

Other Partners with Johnson County Government this year include the Arts Council of Johnson County and Johnson County Park and Recreation District.

Meet the artist

Daniel Montoute is a Kansas City-based visual artist whose practice is rooted in cultural narrative and civic engagement, with work presented in public spaces and community driven initiatives. Montoute creates oil and mixed media, and his work explores themes of resilience, displacement and the beauty embedded in struggle.

Montoute’s paintings have been featured in exhibitions at Arts KC, Westwood City Hall, Pendleton Arts Block, the American Swedish Institute, and the Macon  (Georgia) Arts Alliance.

Daniel was chosen for his creativity, experience, and alignment with the county’s vision for the project.

Learn more about Daniel.

Juneteenth has been celebrated throughout the United States for more than a century. It has included festivities such as this parade in St. Augustine, Florida in 1922.

The end of slavery in the United States

Juneteenth is a recognition and celebration of the end of slavery in the United States. A combination of the terms “June” and “nineteenth,” this holiday – taking place on June 19 – marks the date in which Union troops arrived in Galveston, Texas in 1865, ensuring the freedom of all enslaved people in the state.

The arrival of the troops came two months after General Robert E. Lee surrendered in Appomattox, Virginia. Two years earlier, in 1863, President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation. Texas became the last Southern state to be formally notified of the president’s action that freed all enslaved people in Confederate states.

The 13th Amendment abolishing slavery was ratified on Dec. 6, 1865. The following year, the first celebration of “Jubilee Day” on June 19 was organized in Texas, which is now known as Juneteenth.

Juneteenth as an official holiday

Juneteenth has been an annual celebration across the country, and it became a national holiday in 2021. Last October, the Board of County Commissioners also made it a county holiday, approving it unanimously. In 2022, it was recognized by Johnson County for the first time, on Monday, June 20, since June 19 fell on a Sunday.

Juneteenth was first celebrated as a state holiday in Texas in 1980, as “Jubilee Day.” Forty-one years later, in 2021, President Joe Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act, establishing Juneteenth as a national holiday.

The Johnson County Museum's nationally recognized digital exhibition, “REDLINED: Cities, Suburbs, and Segregation,” delves into the complex history of redlining and its profound impact on Johnson County and the broader region. 

Originally a physical special exhibit at the Johnson County Museum, “REDLINED” offers visitors a comprehensive journey through the origins, evolution, and enduring consequences of redlining. Utilizing content and images from the original exhibit, the digital version offers an engaging and accessible platform to delve into this important topic.

This exhibit won the prestigious 2026 Museum Impact Award from the American Alliance of Museums, one of the highest national honors received by museums. Read more about the award.