Let Freedom Sing Juneteenth A Celebration Of Emancipation

Peggy Trout worked hard so the people at Spokane’s Liberty Park didn’t think the Juneteenth celebration Saturday was just a free picnic.

“I didn’t want them to just eat, dance and play some games,” said Trout, a member of the Fairchild African American Club. “Somebody paved the way for all of us. I want them to know that.”

Juneteenth is a freedom day celebration that usually takes place on June 19 nationwide.

It’s the celebration of the release of a large group of slaves on June 19, 1865, in east Texas, two years after President Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation.

Federal troops forced slave owners who wouldn’t obey the proclamation to release the slaves.

The celebration at East Central’s Liberty Park started in the morning and went through the afternoon, with storytelling, a magic show and a choir singing contemporary gospel songs. The celebration culminated in a dance Saturday night at the Masonic Temple downtown.

By noon, about 75 people gathered for a free lunch of hamburgers, chips and baked beans. Trout passed around a flier explaining the meaning of Juneteenth along with a list of trivia questions.

She kept herself busy by needling young people to answer the trivia questions.

Trout didn’t accept excuses and even offered her pen.

If they read her essay, they’d have many of the answers to questions such as what date the Emancipation Proclamation was signed (Jan. 1, 1863) and the name of the general responsible for getting word of the proclamation to the Texas slaves (General Gordon Granger).

Clyde Brown, who played basketball during the festival, said he thought Juneteenth was a great event.

“It’s always good for us to recall, so we don’t forget where we came from,” said Brown, a master sergeant at Fairchild Air Force Base.

Una McDowell said even though she’s from England, she appreciates the meaning behind Juneteenth.

“Where there’s injustice to one person, it affects everybody,” she said.

Ella Huffman said this year’s Juneteenth was organized by Ymoja, a group of organizations and churches in the black community.

“Hopefully, this will get bigger and bigger,” she said.

Trout said she hopes people take time on Juneteenth to remember the struggles of the past and keep focused on working for a better future.

“We’ve come a long way but we’ve got a long way to go,” she said.

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Color Photo