Happy Juneteenth! It’s Wednesday, June 19, and today marks 159 years since the last enslaved Americans in Galveston, Texas, learned they were free. That was two years after President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation. 

Since the federal holiday falls on hump day this year, most of Memphis’ Juneteenth celebrations were held last weekend. But the National Civil Rights Museum is hosting a community day today with free admission, music and more. You can learn more about the holiday’s history and ways to celebrate here. Some city services will be halted, and some government offices will be closed; we’ve got a rundown.

Fittingly, Memphis pastor LaSimba Gray’s new book, “Out of Bounds,” about golf’s role in Memphis’ desegregation, will be released today.

THE NEED TO KNOW

“I understand the critics. I receive it. I hear it. I listen to it,” said Memphis-Shelby County Schools Superintendent Marie Feagins. (Benjamin Naylor/The Daily Memphian)

Feagins defends layoffs: Memphis-Shelby County Schools Superintendent Marie Feagins admitted on Tuesday that she could have done a better job communicating with hundreds of MSCS employees about layoffs. But she defended her decision to cut about 650 jobs and 450 vacant positions. MSCS employees were emailed on June 10 about the job cuts, which led to an uproar by the district’s HR chief and a move by the Board of Education to quickly halt any further layoffs. Some employees have been offered new positions, though titles and salaries will likely change. Feagins is trying to move administrative employees back into the classroom to address a teacher shortage.

Shelby County Clerk Wanda Halbert, left, and Hamilton County District Attorney General Coty Wamp, right. (Mark Weber, Patrick Lantrip/The Daily Memphian file)

Ouster can’t oust her: Shelby County Circuit Court Judge Felicia Corbin-Johnson dismissed the lawsuit on Tuesday that attempts to oust Wanda Halbert as Shelby County Clerk. Halbert would have been due in court for a full ouster trial in August after Hamilton County District Attorney General Coty Wamp filed a suit claiming Halbert “willfully neglected” to perform her duties. Both Halbert and Wamp held dueling press conferences — at the same time Tuesday — after the dismissal. Halbert didn’t say much, but her attorney said the state’s removal statute doesn’t allow a DA from another county to request the ouster. Wamp said she was “disappointed” and hoped local county officials would re-file. She also called Halbert the “worst county clerk in the state.”

Justin Timberlake was charged with a DWI on Tuesday, June 17. (Chris Pizzello/AP file)

Cry him a river? Memphis-born pop star Justin Timberlake was arrested and charged for driving while intoxicated on New York’s Long Island early Tuesday morning. He was released from custody later that morning after being arraigned in Sag Harbor, a hotspot for wealthy visitors on the eastern end of Long Island. 

QUOTED

“We’re dealing with an issue we’ve never seen before in terms of the number of young people committing crimes.”

— Memphis City Council member Janika White
Residents of Midtown’s Vollintine-Evergreen neighborhood shared crime concerns at a public meeting on Tuesday, following a recent carjacking of a Rhodes College security guard. White and Memphis Police Interim Chief C.J. Davis discussed the issue of youth, some as young as 10, committing crimes. But leaders shared that overall crime in the area is actually trending down.

THE NICE TO KNOW

Spike Lee will be honored with a Freedom Award from the National Civil Rights Museum at the Orpheum Theatre on Oct. 17. (Scott Garfitt/Invision/AP file)

And the awards go to … Oscar-winning filmmaker Spike Lee is among the three recipients chosen for this year’s National Civil Rights Museum Freedom Awards. Lee’s 30-year career has been dedicated to making films that tell stories of civil rights and Black culture. The other two recipients include the first Black woman to host a prime-time talk show in the South and the former NAACP Legal Defense Fund president. In other news of high honors, the Memphis Music Hall of Fame announced its newest class on Tuesday. The list includes famed Memphis opera singer Kallen Esperian, soul singer James Carr, and a number of others.

University of Memphis head softball coach Stephanie VanBrakle Prothro is leaving for a new job. (Benjamin Naylor/The Daily Memphian)

All the Tigers news that’s fit to print: Former Memphis Tigers guard Johnathan Lawson played in a Shelby County Pro-Am League game on Tuesday night, and he hinted that a return to the Tigers is on the table. Lawson transferred to Creighton last year. Meanwhile, walk-on point guard Joe Cooper has left the team. Cooper appeared in only six games last season. And Tigers softball coach Stephanie VanBrackle Prothro is leaving, too, for a new job. But things are looking up for the football program, which has picked up eight new commitments for the 2025 recruiting class in a week. In other news, the search for a new athletic director continues with three additional candidates interviewing this week.

Why where you get your medical care matters: Lung-cancer patients with certain genetic markers can live longer, post-surgery, if they receive medical therapies based on their genetic signature. But a new, two-year study found that 40% of lung-cancer patients living within 200 miles of Memphis did not get the genetic tests needed for those therapies. The research, done by Baptist Cancer Center and the University of Memphis School of Public Health, determined that access to testing really just depends on where the patient is treated.

Memphian Bertram Williams Jr. has been promoted to a series regular for the third season of TV series “P-Valley.” He’s also set to appear in the documentary spin-off series, “Down in the Valley.” (Courtesy Starz)

What’s next for ‘P-Valley’? A date for the third season of Memphis-native Katori Hall’s Southern strip-club drama “P-Valley” is yet to be announced, but until then, you can get your fix with a new spin-off documentary series that launches on Starz July 5. “Down in the Valley” explores sex, religion, queerness and the music of the South over six 30-minute episodes. And you’ll recognize some familiar faces and Memphis places.

WHAT WE’RE TALKING ABOUT

Though it’s certainly unfortunate, J-Tim’s DWI arrest quickly became internet fodder. And you have to wonder, with all his money, could he not just get an Uber?

Have a great Juneteenth!

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