NASHVILLE — Rev. Venita Lewis and Carlos Bailey organized the first Juneteenth celebration in Nashville in 1985 at the Sensation Lounge, establishing an annual tradition. Lewis moved to Nashville from Texas in the mid-1980s to pursue a career in country music.

She connected with Bailey, a country music artist, in 1985. Carlos Bailey asked, "What is Juneteenth?" Lewis explained that Juneteenth commemorates the emancipation of enslaved people in Texas, two years after the Emancipation Proclamation. Nearly 250,000 enslaved Black people in Texas were declared free by executive decree when approximately 2,000 Union troops arrived in Galveston Bay, Texas, on June 19, 1865. The newly freed individuals in Texas began referring to June 19 as Juneteenth.

Lewis then asked, "Did the black community celebrate Juneteenth in the city of Nashville?" Bailey proposed hosting an event to mark the occasion. The inaugural event took place at the Sensation Lounge on Trinity Lounge.

Lewis distributed historical information about Juneteenth during the 1985 celebration. Lewis later shared her ideas for the celebration with Dr. Shelia Peters, who was then president of the NAACP.

During Peters' administration, a Juneteenth celebration took place at Hadley Park. Following these initial events at the Sensation Lounge and Hadley Park, other organizations in Nashville began to host their own Juneteenth celebrations.