Springfield celebrates Juneteenth, commemorating the end of slavery in America
Joined by dozens of local organizations and a hundred residents, Springfield celebrated Juneteenth on Saturday with an event at Silver Springs Park.
Recognized as the ceremonial anniversary of the end of slavery in the United States, June 19 was designated as a federal holiday only in the past year. But Springfield has recognized the date since 1997.
A mix between a celebration and a remembrance, the NAACP-sponsored "Lifting As We Climb" on Saturday included food, music, vendors and activities.
That "bittersweet" duality was on display as local minister Christine Peoples detailed the history of the day — commemorating June 19, 1865, the day that slaves in Galveston, Texas, received word that they were free two years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation.
Peoples went on to say the holiday ensures the "horrors of slavery" are not forgotten and celebrates Black joy in the face of oppression.
"We can look over the landscape and see the buildings that are in place that were all built by slaves. We can see landmarks of beauty, but those landmarks of beauty were paved with a price — a price of death and price of servitude," Peoples told the crowd.
"So today, I'm not trying to make you feel good, but I'm trying to give you hope to understand that we still owe — we all owe — and if we don't think that our blood is not united through those four million freed people, then you got to go back and do your homework. We are them and they are us."
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Peoples called Juneteenth "one of the most difficult days to celebrate."
Attendees were joined by Mayor Ken McClure and Springfield councilwoman Heather Hardinger, the first Black woman to serve on Springfield City Council.
"I'm so pleased to see all of you out here today to celebrate Juneteenth and celebrate African American achievement and Black excellence. I'm so glad to see it. So thank you so much for coming for our community," Hardinger said.
Mayor McClure said the annual event was one of the many reasons he "feels so proud to be a Springfieldian."
Springfield NAACP President Kai Sutton honored the recently deceased Denny Whayne, who served on City Council and had been head of the Springfield NAACP.
"As the current chapter president of the NAACP Springfield, I want to take a moment to give some respect to all of our past presidents, whether you're here or not," Sutton said.
"But I would like to also take a moment and hold a moment of silence for Denny Whayne, who was a clear definition of what community looks like. I would not be standing here before you if he didn't help pave the way."
The event also highlighted the youth wing of Springfield's NAACP. The young people present were encouraged to get involved regardless of their race.
"Our main goal is to get people involved with the NAACP and to get more invested in their Black history," said group advisor Misty McIntosh. "Because we want these kids to know where they came from, where they're gonna go. And we're just on our way to help them get there."
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The youth group meets every second Saturday of the month at the Sanctuary of Praise church. Students are fundraising for a trip to Washington, D.C.
The NAACP also honored local Black excellence by issuing a series of awards. The award recipients included Dr. Angela Holloway-Payne, Dr. Yvania Garcia-Pusateri, Cecily Woodard, Marlon Re'Sean Graves, Tony Gunn Jr., KeKe Rover, Jonathan Bell, Natasha Lancaster, Darline Mabins and Dr. Ashley Payne.
This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Juneteenth celebrated in Springfield at event hosted by NAACP chapter
