Youngstown Juneteenth observances will mark, celebrate emancipation a series of local events. (Editor’s note: This article originally appeared in the June 2014 edition of Metro Monthly. This week, Juneteenth became a federal holiday. The updated article includes local Juneteenth celebrations and observances.)
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When President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on Jan. 1, 1863, it set forth that all slaves, the approximate 3 to 4 million on American soil, were free.
In areas of the United States which were still under rebellion, that freedom for countless slaves, would be delayed. The motives surrounding Lincoln’s penning of the document are still debated today. Did he want to free slaves out of some deep moral conviction or was it done to punish slave-holding states who had seceded from the Union?
The Emancipation Proclamation had no teeth. It was not a law passed by Congress and, even if it were, who was there to enforce it?
The nation was in the grip of a bloody Civil War, as Union troops swept through areas, they would liberate slaves but to what? Just as the planters and owners lost their labor force, the slaves lost food, shelter, clothing and a future of uncertainty.
But what happens if you find out, more than two years after the end of slavery, on paper, that you were actually emancipated years before?
It is called Juneteenth, and marks the forceable end of slavery in the state of Texas, one of the last states to abolish the practice.
This week, Juneteenth became a federal holiday. On June 15, the U.S. Senate unanimously passed the “Juneteenth National Independence Day Act,” which established Juneteenth as a federal holiday. It passed the House of Representatives by a 415–14 vote on June 16. President Biden signed the legislation into law on two days ago – on June 17.
This year, Juneteenth will be marked in the Mahoning Valley by a number of local events (see below). In addition, on the evening of June 19, JAC Management Group will be lighting Huntington Bank Community Alley in Wean Park red and green in honor of Juneteenth.
Juneteenth background
On June 18, 1865, 2000 Union troops, under Gen. Gordon Granger, arrived in Galveston and delivered General Order No. 3, which set forth that all slaves are free, declaring personal rights and the rights of property between former master and slaves.
The freedmen were supposed to continue working, however, for wages. They were admonished that idleness would not be condoned. The announcement was met with jubilation among the former slaves and became an annual observance.
Years later, as part of the Federal Writers’ Project under the Works Progress Administration, people were sent out to interview former slaves about their recollections of that “peculiar institution.”
One such interview was with “Prophet” Kemp of Daytona Beach, Fla. He recalled being a slave on the plantation of John Gay, whom he termed one of the meanest plantations owners in Mississippi.
Kemp recounted the beatings, the lack of food, long hours and the outright cruelty of the owner and the overseers he employed. He told the writer that Gay feared the impending freedom of his slaves and ordered his overseers to keep all visitors away. Word did reach Granger of the conditions at the plantation, and on May 8, 1865 the 100-plus slaves were freed.
By the early 1900s, Black communities held observances marking Juneteenth, generally under the auspices of the church. In recent years, some communities held gatherings, festivals or educational/social consciousness activities, while others largely ignore it. In previous years, observances have been held in Warren and Youngstown.
This year, Youngstown Juneteenth observances will mark, celebrate emancipation. A sampling of this year’s events include:
Park Clean Up & Resource Fair. Crandall Park, 400 Redondo Road, Youngstown 44504. 330-261-2631. Email: ls*****@fc*****.org. The Retired Senior Volunteer Program will host a park clean up and vendor event at Crandall Park. Volunteers of all ages are invited to help with trimming back overgrowth along paths, picking up litter, planting flowers, etc. Volunteers are asked to bring gloves and any other gardening tools they have available. The cleanup occurs from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. A vendor and resource fair will begin at 10 a.m. and run until 1 p.m. You do not need to volunteer to visit the resource fair or participate in the day’s activities. Attendance is free, but consider donating nonperishable food and personal care items and reusable grocery bags to the Senior Support Action Group’s food pantry delivery program. There will be a box at the action group’s table during the event to collect donations. For more information about the event or if you would like to make a donation, contact coordinator Leah Sakacs at 330-261-2631, or by emailing ls*****@fc*****.org. For volunteer registration, click the link here. Cleanup: 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Vendor and resource fair: 10 a.m.-1 p.m., Saturday, June 19. Free.
Juneteenth Celebration. Youngstown Foundation Amphitheatre, 201 S. Phelps St., Youngstown 44503. Includes vendors, food trucks, live music, a job fair and vaccinations. Sponsored by Loud 102.3 FM, the City of Youngstown, Premier Bank, State Farm agent Steve Jones, Dream Corps, Youngstown City School District, CIRV Youngstown, JAC, Cool Shades, Academy for Urban Scholars High School, and Mr. Rooter. Noon, Saturday, June 19.
Book Sale in Honor of Juneteenth. East Library parking lot, 430 Early Road, Youngstown. The Friends of the Public Library of Youngstown and Mahoning County’s East Library Committee will hold a book sale in honor of Juneteenth. Proceeds benefit the children’s reading program. 1-3 p.m., Saturday, June 19.
Second Annual Freedom Walk. Wean Park, 201 S. Phelps St., Youngstown 44503. This year’s theme is “A Walk Through Heaven.” The Freedom Walk will include a citywide prayer led by local ministers, remembrances, and acknowledgments of Black excellence. The event is held in conjunction with the Father’s Day Cookout and Car Show. The Freedom Walk is sponsored by The Academy for Urban Scholars Youngstown. Wean Park is located near the Covellii Centre and Youngstown Amphitheatre. 3 p.m., Sunday, June 20.
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