By Bernard W. Carr
In the month of June, a recent federal holiday entitled “Juneteenth” was signed into legislation on June 17, 2021, by then-President of the United States Joe Biden. The official holiday is named Juneteenth National Independence Day and is celebrated annually on June 19 to commemorate the end of slavery in the U.S.
Several events were held locally to celebrate the holiday. The first celebration occurred on Wednesday, June 18, as the Heritage Shores Lifestyles Committee sponsored its second annual Juneteenth Celebration in the club ballroom. The event was hosted by residents Annette Cottrell and Cassandra “Casey” Ogden. According to Cottrell, a 14-year resident of the Heritage Shores complex, “The purpose of the event was three-fold: to foster community diversity, to provide historical awareness, and to honor shared values.” The audience of 160 persons was entertained by liturgical dancers Penny Miller and Carol Oddman, who danced while accompanied by singers Arlyce Anderson and Jaki Stokes, who sang “His Eye is on the Sparrow,” a hymn written in 1905 by lyricist Civilla D. Martin and composer Charles H. Gabriel. A chartered club at Heritage Shores named the Rhythm and Blues Performance Company sang, “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” often referred to as the “Black National Anthem,” written in 1900 by civil rights activist James Weldon Johnson and composed by his brother, J. Rosamond Johnson. The song was first performed on Feb. 12, 1900, by a chorus of 500 school children at the Stanton School in Jacksonville, Fla., where James was the principal. The song, originally written as a poem, was adopted by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored Peoples (NAACP) as its official song.
A traditional southern meal of fried chicken, BBQ pulled pork, macaroni and cheese, collard greens, coleslaw, caesar salad, and red velvet cake was served. The night ended with music provided by the On the Edge Band.
On Friday, June 19, a “Juneteenth Celebration Prayer Breakfast, “Liberty & Justice For All”, was held at the Bridgeville Public Library in Bridgeville. The event was hosted and sponsored by Cornerstone Community Center, a non-profit organization located in Bridgeville, and by the Library. LaToya Harris, who serves as the Executive Director of CCC, welcomed the attendees, “I thank you all for coming from near and far to help us celebrate who we are, where we come from, and where we have to go. I am truly excited and proud of our community, and we are committed to making a positive difference in any way we can.”
Liturgical dancer Tamera Jackson performed a dance to “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” and afterwards, a PowerPoint presentation was given on the history of Juneteenth, titled Why We Celebrate. The breakfast was provided by CCC at no charge and included eggs, pancakes, sausage, scrapple, and home fries. Area resident Chef Scott Kemp, an employee at the Suicide Bridge Restaurant in Hurlock and a cook for 35 years, prepared the meal.
The keynote speaker was Bishop W. James Thomas II, Senior Pastor at Calvary Baptist Church. He reminded the audience that “Juneteenth is one of the most powerful reminders in American history, and that while oppression may endure for a season, it is never the final word. 1865 marked the end of bondage for a lot of people. It marked the fulfillment of prayers that had gone out for generations.” Thomas continued on about our ancestors, “Through all of those hardships, our ancestors held on to their faith; they worshipped when they were forbidden, they prayed when circumstances gave them every reason to give up, they prayed, they prayed, they believed in a God of liberation when freedom looked like it was impossible.”
Thomas told the crowd, “We’re living in the middle of an effort to take us back, but, here’s the problem with that…once we get a vision of who we can be, taking us back is not going to be an easy task.”
Near the end of his message, Thomas rhetorically commented, “The question is not just about what happened in 1865, the question is what are we going to do in 2026? Are we going to honor our ancestors? Are we going to just honor them with some speeches, rhetoric, actions, or simply, remember their sacrifices….or are we going to continue their work, preserve freedom, expand opportunity, and continue to build this beloved community?”
He said as he was leaving for the trip back to Dover, “This was an amazing day. A celebration of resiliency and overcoming, but, we have work to do. I think today is a reminder that this is a call to action, and not just a cause to celebrate. And so I think this prayer breakfast, this morning set the tone, and set the stage for us to do what we need to do. We have work to do!”
The third Juneteenth event held locally happened on Sunday, June 28 at St. Luke’s Parish Hall in Seaford. The event was an awards reception sponsored by Seaford resident and community advocate, Elaine Grice. Grice had a desire to honor local residents doing good things in their communities, and making a positive impact. SInce the banquet was so close to Juneteenth, she named her program “Juneteenth- Men and Women of Honor.” Eight persons were selected to be recognized. They are: Ken Huff and Mr. Goodwood, Joyce Sessoms, Lenora Drayton Williams, Mary “Ginger” Speight, Dr. Darrynn Harris, Lisa Lee, Kim Ream, Karen Kemp, and Bernard W. Carr. Each honoree received a colorful decorated banner that read Juneteenth Men and Women of Honor, and a symbolic rock that was inscribed with the words “Rock of Faith”. The meal included baked chicken, macaroni and cheese, green beans, and rolls.
In 1863, during the American Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, which declared more than three million enslaved people living in the Confederate States were free. Rebelling states, such as Texas, weren’t ready to give up slavery. It was not until some 2,000 Union soldiers arrived in Galveston, Texas on June 19, 1865, and were able to enforce the edict that the enslaved Black residents of the state were free.
Photo#6753…..Young people from the local community participate in decorating the maypole to rejoice at the return of summer at the Juneteenth Prayer Breakfast. Photo by Bernard W. Carr
