"I see freedom everywhere:" Tupelo celebrates Juneteenth for first time as a federal holiday
Jun. 18—TUPELO — Tupelo celebrated freedom and Black history at its annual Juneteenth celebration Saturday afternoon at Gumtree Park.
Dozens of vehicles, as well as a horse rider and horse-drawn carriage, rounded the corner of East Jackson Street at 12:40 p.m. to make its way to Gumtree Park to conclude the parade and kick off festivities, scheduled to begin at 1 p.m.
Tents peppered the open fields, as attendees fluttered among various food vendors and informational booths for voter registration, activists and organizations such as NAACP, and local authors.
"As I look out over the Gumtree Park, I see freedom everywhere," Councilwoman Nettie Davis, one of the event organizers, told the crowd of attendees.
Tupelo's inaugural Juneteenth festival was in 1999, organized by Kenneth Wheeler and Stan Allen. Since then, various groups have stepped up to organize the event.
Conway Goree, president of the Juneteenth committee, has been the longest organizer, according to committee members. He restarted the event in 2014, and added the annual parade and scholarship. While that first celebration had a good turnout, it has grown as more people become "aware of what Juneteenth is about," Goree said.
"That was my whole concern, that there wasn't enough people who knew about Juneteenth, and I wanted them to know something about their history," Goree said.
He's thankful for his committee and the community for supporting the event. Davis named committee members such as Bridgett "Bam" Shelly and Jennifer Lawrence as vital to organizing this year's celebration.
The event also recognized three Conway Goree Scholarship recipients, given to graduating high school or college students. Each received $300. Goree also offers $200 business starter kits for any person starting a new business.
Saturday's celebration featured speakers, giveaways, poetry, musicians and dancing. Bringing cultural events to Tupelo is important for Davis, who also plans the Communities Forward Festival.
"Freedom is something we are really proud of and celebrating, and I think all citizens should be happy about people having the same rights and opportunities in the community, whether they are African American or whatever," Davis said.
While July 4 is celebrated as Independence Day, Juneteenth is a reminder that African American freedom came much later. It recognizes June 19, 1865, when slaves in Galveston, Texas were freed. It was over two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed. Initially a Texan affair, it's become a holiday recognized throughout the nation and abroad.
This is the first Juneteenth celebration Tupelo organizers have planned since it became a federally recognized holiday on June 17, 2021. Committee secretary Jennifer Lawrence hoped Saturday's celebration sparks conversation around African-American culture and history.
"I did not know about this until I was an adult, so we would want our children to know about this history before they are in their 30s or 40s," Lawrence said. "We're just excited to be a part of history. This is history in the making."
Saturday's event took time to acknowledge modern regional Black History by inviting Black elected officials throughout the region. Among its attendees were the mayors of Shannon, Plantersville, and Calhoun City, who were the first Black mayors of their respective towns. Calhoun City Mayor Marshall W. Coleman credited officials like Davis and Lee County District 4 Supervisor Tommie Lee Ivy as inspiration to never give up.
Organizers foresee next year's celebration being even bigger, Lawrence said.
The Juneteenth festivities will continue Monday, June 20 from noon to 2 p.m. at Gumtree Park. The event will have speakers, food and refreshments.
