The City of Gainesville will celebrate Juneteenth early this year, but organizers say it won't be any less festive.
This is the first year Juneteenth will be celebrated as an official federal holiday. Still, the date known to some as Emancipation Day or Black Freedom Day has been acknowledged by African-Americans for decades.
"Bring your red, white, and blue and bring your red, green, and gold too," said Rickey Young, President of the Gainesville-Hall County Black History Society. "It gives the nation another day to enjoy what our culture has to offer."
Juneteenth, which dates back to June 19, 1865, the day that slaves in Texas got word from Union Generals that President Abraham Lincoln had emancipated them, has long been considered a special date for Black Americans.
"This is going to be a historical celebration, and we're going to talk about the people in our community and how they've contributed to the American culture and American Dream," Young told AccessWDUN.
The celebrations, which get underway on Saturday at 3 p.m., will include a parade, marching bands, ROTC Color Guards, motorcycle riders, and a classic car show.
Organizers will be showing a film about Gainesville's History and the African American communities' contribution to the city. Representatives from Northeast Georgia Health Systems and Longstreet Clinic will be on hand to provide a series of talks about healthcare.
A notable change for this year's festivities is the location—most of the events will be held at the old Fair Street School, which was once the primary Black school in Gainesville.
"I think the last graduating class was in 1962, and it's still so special to the community," said Gainesville Mayor Pro Tem Barbara Brooks. "So everybody is excited about being able to have it at Fair Street."
In the early days of the celebration Brooks and her husband, James, were instrumental in putting the local festivals together. Brooks explained that the plans first came together after her husband saw a Juneteenth celebration in 2006 in Winder.
"So that next year we started it, and it's gone on every year, except for the time the pandemic kept us from participating," she told AccessWDUN.
Many community organizations and city departments will be in attendance, and Councilwoman Brooks will spend most of her time with the fire department, "they're going to have my favorite truck, 'Big Red,' out there—I love 'Big Red!'"
She believes residents, regardless of race, will show up for the events.
"It's not just people who happen to be descendants of slaves, but it's for the entire Gainesville community to celebrate with us," Brooks said.
http://accesswdun.com/article/2022/6/1108984/gainesville-to-mark-juneteenth-this-weekend