The annual Juneteenth celebration took place on Saturday, June 18, 2022 at Dunbar Park.
This years celebration consisted of free hamburgers for those in attendance and a pound cake bake off.
This years celebration was the smallest the organization has ever seen. Last year, they had booths for the people in the community to sell goods and inflatable bounce houses for the kids. However, this year the holiday sneaked up on the organization, according to Sharon Johnson, acting president. Johnson said, in a proud tone, that they “threw together” this years celebration in about three weeks.
They planned to feed 300 people; including those in attendance, shut-ins they delivered food to, and those who stopped by for the free food. Although there was a smaller turn out this year, they still managed to feed over 150 people.
This years pound cake bake off consisted of only 8 cakes, down from 22 last year. This years judges of the bake off were Dwain Morgan, Johnny Rosemond, Eric Saenz, Dorothy Saenz, John D. McCarty, and Betty Davila, with the help of her nephew.
The first place winner of the bake off was Lisa Robinson of Lubbock, Texas. The second place winner was Retha Williams of Littlefield, Texas. The third place winner was Betty Morgan of Lubbock, Texas. Sharon Johnson would like to send special “thank yous” to everyone that participated and attended the event. Johnson would also like to thank Praying Women in Action, Lowes Corp. Office, Food King, United, Community Brotherhood, Continental Dairy Facility, Southwest, John D. McCarty, Johnny Rosemond, Annoy doneries, and the local churches.
Juneteenth is a federal holiday remembering the emancipation of enslaved African Americans on June 19, 1865. Although Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation on Jan. 1, 1863, freeing all enslaved people across the United States, it wasn’t until June 19, 1865 that emancipation finally reached Texas.
Originating in Galveston, the holiday started out as a statesonly holiday. Texas has celebrated Juneteenth since the 1860s and officially recognized it as a state holiday in 1980. Only 24 states and the District of Columbia officially recognize it as a state holiday, with Connecticut recognizing the holiday in 2023.
However, every state, at some point, has officially recognized Juneteenth as a day of observance.
President Biden officially recognized Juneteenth as a federal holiday on June 19, 2021, when he signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act into law, making it one of 11 federal holidays.