by Shawn Nowlin
Juneteenth, a federal holiday that annually falls on June 19, represents an essential piece of America’s nuanced, complicated history puzzle.
One hundred and sixty-two years ago, the Emancipation Proclamation, President Lincoln’s executive order, allowed all people to be free. However, not until June 19, 1865, were all enslaved individuals actually free. This only occurred when the Civil War concluded and Union soldiers arrived in Texas.
When Juneteenth finally became a federal holiday on June 17, 2021, under the Biden Administration, it marked 156 years since its first celebration.
Roanoke’s McCadden Park was the place to be from noon to 5 p.m. on June 14 as hundreds of community members and allies came together to celebrate Black history at the Sixth Annual Juneteenth Family Reunion.
Free to the public, festivities included food stands, vendors, live music and much more. People stood in long lines to support Black-owned businesses and took advantage of the resources that were readily available.
Even when it started to rain, that didn’t stop people from dancing, taking pictures and living in the moment.
Performers of all kinds hit the stage – Community Artsreach, Colonels Cheer, Virginia Legacy, Kemistry Band and Gurlz with Attitudez.
The celebration drew bystanders like Abigail Fisherman who was walking her dog and intrigued by all that she saw. “When you really think about it, 170 years is not that long ago. I have learned so much from Black people over the years by just listening and asking questions,” Fisherman, an Arkansas resident, said.
Continuing, she explained, “I just happened to be in town visiting my sister when I stumbled across this amazing event. If I’m in Roanoke next year, I certainly will be attending and bringing some others with me.”
Not until he became an adult did Malik Holmes realize that most of what he was taught in school about Juneteenth was severely lacking.
“Knowing what I do now, it’s clear that my teachers omitted certain details about Juneteenth and what slavery was truly like. What I loved about Saturday’s event was just how informative it was,” he said.
For Mildred Walker, 88, living long enough to see Juneteenth become a federal holiday is something she never thought would happen in her lifetime.
“As a child, I vividly remember overhearing certain conversations white folk had. In one particular instance, I recall a man bursting out in laughter at the thought of America ever electing a Black man as President. Similar comments were made about Juneteenth too,” Walker said.
“As I walked around McCadden Park with my grandchildren and saw what we are capable of as a community, it brought tears of joy to my face,” she added.
Coinciding with the Juneteenth Celebration just yards away was a “No Kings” Trump protest which also attracted hundreds of attendees.
