It took a large portion of the American citizenry more than 150 years to learn about Juneteenth.
Now a federal holiday, Juneteenth commemorates the end of slavery in the United States, dating to June 19, 1865, the date of the final enforcement of the Emancipation Proclamation in Galveston, Texas.
For years afterward, Black communities would celebrate June 19, but those occasions were largely regional in nature, and eventually grew increasingly muted because of Jim Crow laws and ongoing civil rights struggles. Then, even as Blacks gained more prominence in the political sphere through the latter half of the 20th century, Juneteenth still had minimal mainstream visibility.
But Juneteenth was thrust into the national spotlight during national racial justice protests in 2020, and it became a federal holiday a year later.
Nowadays, many are aware of the date’s significance, but only on a superficial level, notes Iolan Henry Lohman.
He hopes to change that.
Lohman, the newly minted community engagement coordinator at Thrive Allen County, is hosting a Juneteenth community festival from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at 415 W. Madison Ave. (the former Bolling’s Meat Market building).
Lohman and a team of volunteers will host a series of activities for folks of all ages to discuss myriad aspects of Juneteenth, from an obstacle course to denote the 2 ½-year gap it took for all of the slaves to learn they’d been freed through the Emancipation Proclamation, to the various ways Blacks have influenced culture and science — often unnoticed — and other activities to explore the symbolism behind the Pan-American flag, for example.
“It’s not just for kids,” Lohman said. “It’s more of an adventure. I welcome the entire community to take part.”
Attendees will be welcome to take part in any of five stations set up in and outside the event center.
The first is the aforementioned obstacle course.
The second is an obstacle course, where kids will be on the lookout for different colors relating to the Pan-American and Juneteenth flags, and how the colors represent various aspects of Black culture’s struggles to gain freedom.
The third is a memory game, where participants will learn about Black inventors and their inventions, from George Washington Carver, who introduced crop rotation to farmers across the country, to Garrett Morgan, inventor of the traffic light.
The fourth station will have more an artistic feel, where participants will learn everything from braiding flags to learning about different artists.
The fifth, and perhaps most profound station, is an inter-generational discussion where participants young and old will ask each other questions about Juneteenth.
Additionally, mocktails — a tasty non-alcoholic drink featuring lemonade, orange juice and grenadine — will be served.
