Cherryville Hosts its Second Annual Juneteenth Celebration!
By: Mason Beam – Wise News Network
Cherryville, NC (WNN) – On Saturday, June 8th, 2024, Cherryville hosted its second annual Juneteenth celebration. The event was sponsored by the Cherryville Main Street Program and organized by Amanda McCorkle, Bernice Harris, and Tina Feemster.
The Downtown and Economic Development Director, David Day, said about why he developed the committee in charge, “I don’t know that I don’t know, because at that particular time, there was not a lot of information on the website about Juneteenth, what it was, and its history.”
As a holiday that was only recently federally recognized as of June 17th, 2021, many people are unsure what the holiday stands for. While many would associate the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation with the date America abolished slavery, this is not true across the board.
Juneteenth was founded to celebrate a more concrete date for abolishing slavery. On June 19th, 1865, General Gordon Granger signed General Order No. 3 into law in Texas, resulting in the freeing of nearly a quarter million people from slavery. This was roughly two and a half years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation and was one of the last significant hold-outs in the United States, leading toward its heavy historical significance.
The holiday emerged early after the Civil War when freed enslaved people and their families gathered to do activities such as singing, hosting celebrations of religion, storytelling, and sharing meals. This is no different today, with groups such as the “Community Choir,” led by Shannon Gordin, rallying the holiday message behind their songs (Biesecker).
Of course, this is not the only way that the Cherryville Juneteenth holds on to tradition. On Friday, Jekera puts on a stunning display of dance ministry, backed by the song “Lift Every Voice and Sing†by James Weldon Johnson, often referred to as “The Black National Anthem” (NAACP).
The event also hosted prayer and service from several sources, including Minister DaShauna Drake and Bishop Donald Charles. Charles participated in the praise portion of the holiday and told the story of the touching interactions between Dr. Martin Luther King and a young lady who wrote him a letter.
Otherwise, this celebration hosted historical resources to help people understand the significance of African American History and Culture to America, with one display showing the plethora of inventions created by these great American thinkers.
To wrap it up, we can’t forget the food portion of celebrating Juneteenth with many vendors supporting the cause, ranging from Juneteenth merchandise to BBQ and frozen lemonade, with appearances from several organizations, including the Cherryville Police Department, hosting their booth.
According to the Cherryville City Council, the event has seen a great deal of growth compared to the previous year, which will help ensure that this is a Cherryville event everyone will be able to enjoy for years to come!
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Sources:
https://naacp.org/find-resources/history-explained/lift-every-voice-and-sing (NAACP)