Juneteenth festival a great time for all

By: Josh Jefferson

Posted: 6/24/09

The annual Juneteenth Celebration held at Chandler Park was carried out with much fanfare and community support Saturday, June 20.

Now in its seventh year, Juneteenth is well on its way toward becoming a defining event in Macomb during the summer.

A group called Macomb Pro Diversity Organization was partially responsible for initiating the event. Byron Shabaz and Tammy Bollen brought the idea to the now defunct group.

Now under the watchful eye of Belinda Carr, Director of the Gwendolyn Brooks Cultural Center and Earl Bracey, Associate Vice President for Student Services, the celebration has grown. The festival is now run solely through the Gwendolyn Brooks Cultural Center.

"We would like to continue to sponsor this activity without any people being charged for participating," Bracey said. "We have been successful in providing such in these last seven years and that makes it unique."

Juneteenth is observed in recognition of the emancipation of the slaves in Texas on June 18 and 19, 1865. Prior to that, Texas was resistant to the Emancipation Proclamation until Union General Gordon Granger and 2,000 federal troops arrived to enforce it.

The word Juneteenth is a combination of the words June and eighteenth and nineteenth. The festival is celebrated in Macomb as close to June 19th as possible, ideally on a weekend.

Members of the greater Macomb community as well as members of the Western Illinois University family were on hand to celebrate and revel in the spirit of the festival. Among them were Dr. Paul Kreider, Dean of the College of Fine Arts and Communication, Bill Jacobs, Executive Director, McDonough County Housing Authority and Joan Maze, Assistant Director of Student Activities.

"Having different ethnic backgrounds there and being able to see everyone interact with each other was a very good experience," said Pavielle Foster, senior law enforcement major.

In addition to Western Illinois faculty, students also had a chance to enjoy the festivities as well as serve a greater purpose at the event.

"I love Juneteenth. I think my favorite part had to be helping service the community," said Romesa Mickens, senior social work major.

The celebration included musical performances and dance exhibitions. The Little People, using mascot sized puppets dressed in traditional African dress, lip-synched to some of the music as well as Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech. There were also inflatable rides for the children to enjoy. Student employees and volunteers from the Gwendolyn Brooks Cultural Center not only assisted but had fun as well.

"It was fabulous, I'd never been to one before," said Linda Strueber, senior social work major. "I work for Bridgeway and I took my consumers over for something to do. We all had a wonderful time. Their favorite things were The Little People."

Every year, Sodexo provides freezers, warmers and watermelons for the festival. Hy-Vee and Neiman's County Market provide foodstuffs and paper plates and other such items. Carr and Bracey lend their culinary skills to the event by cooking various dishes.

Items served included ice cream, assorted sodas, water, chips, watermelon, riblets, jerk chicken, chicken, turkey corndogs, beef hotdogs, rice and beans.