“June who?”
That was Willie Phillips’ response when asked what he was doing for Juneteenth, the oldest known celebration of the ending of slavery in the United States.
The term is “Juneteenth” because it combines June and 19th, the day in 1865 when a Union Army general and his troops arrived in Galveston, Texas, taking over the state and enforcing the Emancipation Proclamation.
The slaves rejoiced, giving birth to an annual observance of Juneteenth.
In June 1980, Juneteenth became an official holiday in Texas. Today, it is a state holiday or state holiday observance in 31 states, including Missouri.
It has been observed here as “Emancipation Day” since 2003, after being introduced by state Rep. Juanita H. Walton and state Rep. Rita Heard Days. The bill was signed into law by then Gov. Bob Holden on July 10, 2003.
However, like Phillips, many African Americans don’t know that the holiday exists and some who do know don’t celebrate it.
Phillips said he will celebrate, now that he knows.
“We have to do something – it’s up to us,” said Phillips, noting that Juneteenth falls on his wedding anniversary.
Missouri has five known Juneteenth celebrations, organized by Sabayet, Inc., Fountain Park Neighbors Association, Missouri History Museum (which celebrated on June 14), Lafayette County Missouri Juneteenth Celebration (in Higginsville, Mo.), Juneteenth Heritage Committee of Jefferson City and the All Souls Unitarian Univeralist Church (in Kansas City).
The Juneteenth Jazz and Heritage Festival for several years attempted to throw an annual statewide Juneteenth celebration. Curtis Faulkner, founder and president of the festival, said he lobbied and succeeded in including a $1.78 million State grant in the bill, but no monies have been allocated for the event.
Faulkner suggested that the money come from the Non-residential Athletes and Entertainers Tax, pointing out that 51 percent of the tax revenue comes from African Americans.
However, Faulkner, said the money hasn’t been allocated. Thus, Faulkner isn’t doing his event this year.
“I refuse to put on a half-ass event that will give them a reason to justify refusal of the funds we need,” Faulkner said. “We have to get the public involved.”
Two other local Juneteenth celebrations – Fountain Park Neighbors Association and Sabayet Inc. – also aren’t waiting on the State for funding, but are hosting events anyway.
“We certainly can’t wait on people to do things for us,” said Richard Ellis, a co-chair of the festival in Fountain Park.
The Fountain Park celebration gets loose from 4-9 p.m. Friday, June 19 with speakers, music and the movie In Remembrance at Fountain Park in North St. Louis. On Saturday, the festival goes from 10:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. and ends on Sunday, running from 10:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. A church service will be held in the park from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
“It’s for the children. It teaches them where we came from,” Ellis said.
“It was only a few years ago that we were slaves here. Now that we have been free, what have we done and what are we going to do?”
Arthur Penny, who goes by Ghanaian name Nana Kofi, said it’s important for people to know that freedom for African Americans should not be dated from the 4th of July – Independence Day, when European settlers in America celebrate their independence from the British crown.
“They still had slaves when they got their independence, so we have to celebrate our day of freedom, which comes before July,” Penny said.
Sabayet, Inc. holds its event in the street at 4000 Maffit Ave. (at Sarah Street) in North St. Louis.
Sabayet’s Juneteenth Celebration runs from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, June 20. It’s co-sponsored by Brothers to Brothers and Sisters Too Youth Group (founded by Penny), Asbury U.M. Church and the Northeast Greater Ville Neighborhood Association.
“Once you free the young people’s minds, they will come home to roost,” Penny said.
As for Phillips, he said will do his own celebrating on Sunday at home, but will stop by Sabayet’s gala on Saturday.