Juneteenth events celebrate freedom

Jun. 10—LENOIR — Juneteenth is a federal holiday in the U.S. commemorating the emancipation of enslaved African-Americans. It is also often observed for celebrating African-American culture.

Beginning Saturday, June 18 and on Monday, June 20, St. Paul African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church in Lenoir, in collaboration with the Caldwell County branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and the Freedman Cultural Center, will observe weekend-long programs to celebrate, promote, and educate the history of Juneteenth with the community.

"If you don't know anything about Juneteenth, it's a great platform to learn," said Eleanor Patterson Gantt, board member of the Freedman Cultural Center. "If you know, it's a great platform to see it brought to life."

Opal Lee (born Oct. 7, 1926) is often considered the "grandmother of Juneteenth." She campaigned for decades to make Juneteenth a federal holiday. She has promoted the idea by leading 2.5 mile walks each year, representing the two and a half years it took for the Emancipation Proclamation to reach Texas, which was the last state of the Confederacy with institutional slavery.

In June 2021, at the age of 94, her efforts succeeded as President Joe Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act into law, recognizing Juneteenth as a federal holiday.

Juneteenth's commemoration is on the anniversary date of the June 19, 1865 announcement from Gen. Gordon Granger that proclaimed freedom for enslaved people in Texas.

On Saturday, June 18, the public is invited to a free event at The Campus at Historic Lenoir High School starting at 2 p.m. in the auditorium.

At the beginning of the program, Linda Myers will read her original poem titled, "Prayers of our Forefathers," which Gantt said will "give you chills."

Gantt has written, produced, and directed a skit titled, "From Gloom to Glory," which depicts a group of slaves on a plantation in Galveston, Texas before they are told by General Granger that they have been freed.

"We have even included a flag presentation that talks about the creation of the Juneteenth flag and what that means, the Black Liberation flag and what that means, and a tribute to Opal Lee," Gantt said. "We've tried to encompass all different aspects of this little-known holiday to kind of educate and spotlight this particular event."

The Juneteenth flag consists of a red, white, and blue color scheme just like the American flag. The deliberate color scheme is meant to express that enslaved people and their descendants were and always have been Americans, as well as to signify the United States' continued responsibility to do right by those affected by the continued injustices faced by African-Americans today.

The white star in the center of the flag is meant to represent both Texas (the Lone Star State) and the freedom of enslaved people in all 50 states. The white bursting outline is said to have been inspired by a nova, an astronomical event that marks the birth of a new star — in this instance, symbolizing a new beginning for African-Americans in the United States.

The arc that extends across the width of the flag at the intersection of the red and blue sections is yet another symbol of a new beginning, or a new horizon.

Gantt's sister, Linda Hood, has made a Juneteenth flag that will be displayed throughout the show.

On Monday, June 20, St. Paul will celebrate the holiday with a day of education and fun.

"This year, it's bigger with the collaboration of the NAACP and the Freedman Cultural Center," said the Rev. Kim E. Moss, pastor at St. Paul AME Church and president of the Caldwell County branch of the NAACP. "We'll all support each other with the play and the activities downtown. It's a fun day starting with a march, just like Miss Opal walked. In representation and symbolism of her walking, which really forced President Biden to sign those papers, we'll walk."

The group will start the march at 10 a.m. at the MLK Center and finish at a block party at St. Paul AME Church on Finley Ave. There will be steel drums, crafts, spoken word, dancing, musical chairs, and some old-time games like checkers.

"Just doing what the slaves did when they were freed," said Moss. "A day to have fun and celebrate freedom."

This is the third year that St. Paul has celebrated Juneteenth.

In 2020, they started off their first Juneteenth observance with a vehicle protest after George Floyd was killed on May 25, 2020. The group marched downtown to the police station and back up to the J.E. Broyhill Park. The following year, St. Paul hosted a fun and educational day in the church parking lot, with a bouncy house, crafts, and a speaker to educate the community about Juneteenth and Opal Lee.

"Our church is founded on social justice," said Moss. "We really dig deep into our social justice issues. We have engaged in conversation: are we yet free? Or are we yet alive? It's a culmination of discussion that goes on and on. Social justice issues are still before us ... we've come a long way, but we still have a long way to go."

Gantt and Moss encourage the community to spread the word about this event as well as the importance of Juneteenth.

"We want the public to come out and see some of the probably hidden local talent that will be displayed," said Eleanor. "Everyone is welcome. Pass the word in your churches, at your jobs, with your neighbors; get the word out."