Though it rained Saturday morning, the sun finally came out. And everyone was ready for a celebration.
At 3:30 p.m., a band of six youth called the Ace Band took over the main stage. These high schoolers had been together about a year and captivated the attention and hearts of the 100-person crowd gathered underneath the pavilion at Medical District Park (across from the new Aldi on Union Avenue).
“Give these young men a hand,” said Bart Orr, world-renowned musician. “You’d rather they be on this stage than doing some of the things these other kids are doing.”
While the band played, several hundreds more walked around the festival environment, finding something to peek at: food trucks, tents with wares for sale. There was even a tent pressing Juneteenth T-shirts onsite. We can’t forget about the African beads, sea moss, permanent jewelry and items from other Black-owned vendors, like Kaye’s Pints & Scoops, located in Whitehaven. (My son had to get a scoop of the birthday cake ice cream, complete with little pieces of real birthday cake!)
Score Health, one of the sponsors, was giving out bags, flipping fans, and information about their new location opening later this month in Cordova. Its goal is to help prevent the spread of HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) and STIs (sexually transmitted infections). A representative shared that one pill a day can help protect against contracting HIV.
As we were talking to her, another act, Randy, came on the main stage with the quiet storm. And quite the stir came from behind the pavilion — Mayor Paul Young and first lady Jamilah Smith Young had arrived, along with Telisa Franklin, the event’s organizer.
“I’m glad the sun is finally out, and we are glad to be here celebrating Memphis’ culture and learning about what Juneteenth is all about,” said Smith Young.
Franklin shared that things were going amazingly well with the festival, now in its 32nd year. She’s been involved since year 18, when the festival’s organizer passed the torch to her.
“It started in my neighborhood, Douglass. And I knew I could, and I had to, keep it going,” said Franklin.
“Today I see generations of people coming together and celebrating the importance of Juneteenth,” said Mayor Young. “This celebration is so important, and there’s no city more important than Memphis, the largest Black city in America.”
“We have a responsibility, but I’m grateful for the journey. People don’t realize all it took to be where we are today. They need to appreciate where we are, so we don’t make the same mistakes of the past, and we can blaze a new trail for the future,” he said.
After Randy finished, Franklin took to the main stage to make some announcement and recognize the VIP guests.
“I wanted to let you all know what we think about Juneteenth in Memphis and why we are kicking it off early,” said Franklin. “We want to make sure there is a Juneteenth event every weekend in Memphis.”
She rattled off the next couple of events happening around the city in Orange Mound, Douglass, at The Orpheum Theatre and more, all of which are detailed at www.memphisjuneteenth.com.
Young was very complimentary of Franklin’s efforts and said, “These are the moments I want our city to be talking about. Sometimes we forget how great we really are. … We are a great city. Just look at the young and old faces. … I want the news to have these highlights every night. Here are the types of things that can change the narratives for our amazing city.”
State Rep. Antonio Parkinson added, “Everyone please, let’s change the algorithm when it comes to Memphis. There is a ton of work being done. We are going to turn this corner, and we are turning it right now, … Memphis is going to be the best city in America, and I believe that with my entire soul.”
Jeffrey Williams and Voices of Inspiration took to the main stage after that. And if you know, you know — there is nothing like hearing gospel music in a park.
At 4:30 p.m., we packed it up. We couldn’t have picked a better hour to attend this year’s official Juneteenth (kick-off) celebration.
Pretend this is an opinion column for a moment…
As we know, Juneteenth is about when the last enslaved Africans were freed after the Civil War. But if you were to bring it to modern times, we can claim our freedom today, too. Freedom to learn. Freedom to be who we want to be. Freedom to start businesses. Freedom to be creative. Freedom to learn new skills that could change the trajectory of our lives and our children’s lives. Freedom to try. Freedom to try again. Freedom to heal. Freedom to launch. Freedom to be who we were destined to be. Allow Juneteenth this year to inspire you to claim the freedom that is rightfully yours. Walk in your freedom. It’s yours.
