Aiken celebrates Juneteenth

Stephanie Hill, Aiken Standard, S.C.
·4 min read

Jun. 19—"Nobody is free until all of us are free."

That was the mentality of African Americans fighting in the Union Army who were working to free slaves, according to Wayne O'Bryant, a local historian who spoke at the Juneteenth event on Saturday at the Center for African American History, Art and Culture. He explained the significance of Juneteenth, which is when the last slaves in Galveston, Texas, found out they were free on June 19, 1865, two years after the Emancipation Proclamation.

"Juneteenth was the last freed, and you couldn't have a last freed if you didn't have a first freed and the first freed was South Carolina history," O'Bryant said. "South Carolina was the first state to secede from the Union... When the Union ships came down they couldn't attack Charleston because of all the forts, so they went to Beaufort. When they went to Beaufort all the slave owners fled and left 10,000 slaves there by themselves. They were the first free and then they organized them into units and they became the first Black units in the Union Army."

O'Bryant went on to say that after President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, the first group of freed slaves went on to fight to free others.

"They didn't just take their freedom and say 'OK we're free, the rest of you have to get out on your own,'" O'Bryant said. "Every plantation they went to they freed slaves, they enlisted them into the Union Army and they went around freeing everybody. But in 1865 when the war was over, the last people that didn't get the word that they were free were in Texas. So the mentality was, nobody is free until all of us are free. So they made sure the job wasn't over until June 19 when Gen. Gordon Granger road into Galveston, Texas, and read special order No. 3 'all slaves are free.' Now that was the beginning. But the way this happened was the unity that African Americans had to do to fight for their freedom and free each other."

Aiken Mayor Rick Osbon read a proclamation that had been signed by the Aiken City Council on Monday, June 13, declaring June 19, 2022 as Juneteenth within the City of Aiken and discussed the importance of Juneteenth.

"...And whereas June 19 has a special meaning to African Americans and is called Juneteenth, combing June and the 19th, and has been celebrated by the African American community for over 150 years. And whereas Juneteenth was signed into law as a federal holiday on June 17, 2021. And whereas the annual Juneteenth celebration in the City of Aiken will take place at Founders Park on June 18, 2022 hosted by the Center for African American History, Art and Culture. Now therefore I, Rick Osbon, mayor, and the city council of the City of Aiken, South Carolina, do hereby declare June 19, 2022 as Juneteenth in the City of Aiken, South Carolina and urge all citizens to educate themselves about the significance of this celebration and African American history," read part of the proclamation.

A special announcement was also made during the event by Dr. Walter Curry about the Schofield Institute and the Reconstruction Era. He said during this era many African American schools were built, and in 1871 Martha Schofield started the Schofield Institute in Aiken.

"What's so important about that is the fact that Schofield Institute became a center of African American excellence in education in the Reconstruction Era and beyond. So in 2019 Congress passed the John Dingell Act, which created the Reconstruction Era National Network, a network of historic sites that relate to the Reconstruction Era... I am happy to announce that the... Schofield Institute is now an official member of the Reconstruction Era National Network... Schofield Institute is the first historic site in Aiken County that is a part of the Reconstruction Era National Network."

The event also featured different performances, including music, poetry and dancing. Irulan Coleman, an Aiken High School scholar, sang several songs. Big Bailey did several performances featuring songs and spoken word. Calvin Pennywell and Nefertiti Robinson read several poems they wrote.

People of all ages came out to the CAAHAC for the celebration, including first-timer Michelle Cooks.

"I came out today to celebrate Juneteenth and to also help with voter registration and voter education... It's nice, great turnout," she said.

Besides getting help registering to vote, there were a variety of other booths for attendees to browse. Visitors could also tour the CAAHAC and see the different exhibits on display.

For more about the CAAHC, visit https://caahac.org/.