Juneteenth celebrates its 9th year in Bloomington

Blue skies forced their way through grey clouds as Bloomington kicked off its ninth annual Juneteenth Freedom Celebration on Saturday. \nThe celebration began with a parade from the Neal-Marshall Black Culture Center to Bryan Park. Students holding banners fronted the parade as decorated cars and members of Zeta Phi Beta, Kappa Alpha Psi and the African Students Association followed. \nThe Juneteenth celebration originated in 1865, when slaves in Galveston, Texas, finally heard they had been declared free, a decision that had been in effect for more than two years. \nRed and white tents lined Bryan Park as the parade marched. Jewelers, sororities, fraternities, the American Red Cross and Ivy Tech Community College were among the organizations that set up under the tents. \nThe day’s activities started with speeches by Dean of Students Dick McKaig, Ivy Tech Community College Chancellor John Whikehart and Bloomington Mayor Mark Kruzan. \n“I think it’s appropriate we have this celebration before the Fourth of July because you cannot have a truly free country until all its people are free,” Kruzan said. “I think today is a great celebration to honor the fact that we all want to be \none community.” \nOther events that took place on the stage were the drumming workshop instructed by Kwesi Brown, the King and Queen pageant, the gumboot dance instructed by Madeleine Gonin and Spoken Word Talents. \nCouncilman David Sabbagh, Rep. Baron Hill’s representative Andy Ruff and former IU football star George Taliaferro were among the crowd Saturday afternoon. Taliaferro said this event is incredibly important to him, and he plans to attend it in the future. \n“This is my history,” he said. \nOyibo Afoaku, director of the Neal-Marshall Black Culture Center, said the event is a yearlong process and throughout the months after it ends, coordinators look for speakers and other guests to be a part of it for the following year. \nAfoaku explained how important Juneteenth is for the black community. She said the celebration has increased in size each year since it started. \n“I think this event is important because the students need to understand the history of this great country,” Afoaku said, adding that she is glad the Bloomington community participates in the event. \nAfoaku said the event likely brought in 1,000 people, but it’s hard to tell if that number is reached because some people come and go throughout the day. \nPageant contestant Katrina Congress said this is her first year attending and being a part of Juneteenth. “I’m very excited,” Congress said. “(I) like the fact they took the time to celebrate the event.” \nIowa State University student and Juneteenth volunteer Gia Mason said she was interning with Residential Programs and Services here at IU over the summer and when she heard about the program she signed up for it as soon as she could. \n“Now (I’m) just enjoying the celebration and getting to know people.” Mason said. “(The) people here are nice and that’s what really counts.”