Emporia’s Juneteenth Celebration brought residents of all walks of life to Eastside Memorial Park on Saturday.
The Eastside Community Group organized the event, providing the main dishes for a community barbecue. Longtime Emporian Iona Moore says the event is important for several reasons, including its ability to bring people together and the need to pass on the history behind the holiday.
Before the local Juneteenth celebration began Friday night, longtime group member Al Slappy said the event was a good way to start passing the torch to younger generations, especially when relating to the event’s history. On Saturday, he mentioned unity and personal growth as other reasons why Juneteenth is so important.
Juneteenth recognizes the ending of slavery and was officially approved as a federal holiday in 2021. Saturday’s activities followed a historical discussion, candlelight vigil and reading of the Emancipation Proclamation on Friday.
With the official Juneteenth holiday Monday, the Eastside Community Group continues its work to make improvements to Eastside Park. There have been some conversations about adding a disc golf course and adding a nature area for Lakeview Park just east of Eastside.
