MANSFIELD — This year’s Juneteenth celebration will be June 18 at Central Park in downtown Mansfield.
Set-up time for vendors is 8 a.m. Festivities will run from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. This year’s celebration will showcase local talent. There will be a local DJ, jazz band, and praise dancing. There will also be food, arts and crafts, kid-friendly activities and more.
The sponsoring agencies are the Mansfield Branch of the NAACP, the North End Community Improvement Collaborative (NECIC), Richland County Community Action, and the Mary McLeod-Bethune Intervention and Enrichment Center (MBIE).
The public is invited and encouraged to attend.
The Juneteenth celebration dates back to 1865, when slaves in Galveston, Texas received belated word that slaves were free and immediately began celebrating and rejoicing.
Juneteenth today celebrates African American freedom and achievement, while encouraging continuous self-development and respect for all cultures. Juneteenth almost always focused on education and self-improvement.
The events of 1865 in Texas are not forgotten, for all of the roots tie back to this fertile soil from which a national day of pride has grown.
The future of Juneteenth looks bright as the number of cities and states creating Juneteenth committees continues to increase. Respect and appreciation for all of our differences grow out of exposure and working together. Getting involved and supporting Juneteenth celebrations creates new bonds of friendship and understanding among us.
Contact Kizzy Williams for more information or questions. She can be reached at 419-525-3101 and/or email at kizzy@necic-ohio.org
