Juneteenth celebration urges community to draw strength from the past

Isaiah Whitfield, 14, had to stretch to hold his phone high enough over his head to get just the right angle of his parents, Michael and Fransha Whitfield, as they posed in front of a banner celebrating Juneteenth.

Waiting nearby were their sons, Xavier, 15, and David, 15.

The Whitfields were among the hundreds who packed Westbrook Park Saturday afternoon for the fourth annual Community Juneteenth Celebration that included entertainment, games, music, face painting, free food and information booths — all free.

Sponsored by the Mount Olive Chapter of the Carver High School Alumni and Friends Association, the community celebration theme was “Drawing Strength From the Past: While Planning for the Future (Preparing the Next Generation).”

Also known as Freedom Day, the actual federal holiday is celebrated on June 19 commemorating the date in 1865 when slaves in Galveston, Texas, finally received word of the Emancipation Proclamation.

The holiday was first celebrated in Texas, and in June 2021, President Joe Biden signed the Juneteenth Independence Day Act into law.

“About four years ago, we always came out here and enjoyed the festivities and learning the history of Juneteenth,” Michael Whitfield said. “I used to live in Texas, and that is when I first found out about it.

“When I moved back to North Carolina, I found out about this program and have just been enjoying it ever since with the good food, music and family.”

It is a nice celebration, he said, adding that they live in Kinston and drive about an hour one way to attend the event.

Whitfield said one of his uncles helps out at the celebration by preparing food and setting up chairs.

“Sometime, we help them set things up, too,” he said. “So, our family is pretty big inside the Juneteenth program.

“We said we were coming here and hopefully it don’t rain and enjoy today’s weather.”

It was, Whitfield said, the first time they have been able to just sit back and enjoy the event because in the past they had been busy helping set up.

Seeing family is the highlight of the celebration, he said, adding that Mount Olive Mayor Jerome Newton and his wife are cousins.

“All cultures can enjoy (Juneteenth) and learn something from it,” Whitfield said.

•

Dr. Tanya Wynn, vice president of the Mount Olive Chapter of Carver Alumni gave the welcome. Mount Olive Mayor Jerome Newton, Association national president, spoke on behalf of the town.

“We would like to welcome you to our fourth annual Juneteenth celebration,” Wynn said. “As you go about your day, please visit all of these different booths. We have some giveaways. We have some food, and everything is free.”

Newton said that as mayor he wanted to thank everyone for taking time to attend and for persevering

“While we are small, we have big ideals, and we have great visions,” he said. “Juneteenth is a very important celebration in recognition for the people of African descent, especially the descendants of slaves.”

He praised President Biden for having the courage to declare it a federal holiday in 2021.

Juneteenth commemorates the last slaves in the U.S. finally knowing that they were free, he said.

“So as we celebrate, remember the sacrifices made for you,” Newton added. “And on behalf of the town of Mount Olive, the board of commissioners, the citizens, and as mayor, we greet you and we thank you.

“And as you also know, with the commissioners and the mayor proclaim the town of Mount Olive that June 19, 2025, be celebrated as the Juneteenth holiday.”

Newton said that as the Association’s national president we wanted to thank everyone for attending and the Mount Olive chapter for putting on the celebration.

•

Marie Smith presented Karena Atkinson, motivational speaker, poet, youth mentor and activist, who asked for five volunteers to participate in what is called “the human knot.”

She had them face each other and join hands, right to left.

“You have to communicate to get yourselves out (of the knot),” she said. “What you have to do, you have put yourselves into a complete circle without removing your hands.

“You have to get yourselves out of the knot, but the key is communication.”

After a few minutes of trying and talking to each other about how to move, the five almost made it work.

“Imagine if the community honored each other’s voices, each other’s opinions and perspectives to have one common goal being met,” Atkinson said. “Imagine if people didn’t compete with one another, but completed one another.

“That is the message for the human knot — collaboration, unity and communication.”

There is a lot going on, she said, following up by asking those in attendance if they were a little tired and exhausted because of everything they hear — including politics, the recent rainy weather, the news.

It is easy to get caught up in the same conversations, she added.

“We know Juneteenth is about the freedom of the slaves and all that good stuff,” Atkinson said. “You usually get a speaker that talks to you about racism. But as an activist, there is something that I learned. In all of my speaking and events and messages I have given elevating the people, my people, my culture, I got tired of always talking about the oppressor.

“I realized that at some point, we, everyone, no matter what race, creed, religion that you have to look within. So, what I learned is that sometimes the problem isn’t just black versus white — it is us versus us.”

What happens when you are your own worst enemy, your own pessimist, the only person that is standing in your way, she asked. Can you still blame the government and others, Atkinson added.

“When was the last time you really looked at what role you truly play in the community,” she said.

Atkinson said she wanted to talk about language barriers. People often complain that the U.S. is an English-speaking country, she said.

“Are we going to use that type of rhetoric or are we going to admit that it is the melting pot that it is,” Atkinson continued. “We often talk of America being a melting pot, but do we really treat it as such?

“Do we treat ourselves as a collaborative effort to one common goal? Have you ever thought about speaking another language? How much more impactful would you be if you took the time to do that?”

It matters, she said, when we connect with people in such a way that makes them feel seen and heard. Media and propaganda make us look at others in certain ways, Atkinson added.

•

Along with language barriers are cultural ones, too, she said. People in the black community have great stories of success and how they made it “out of the hood,” Atkinson continued.

She asked audience members when was the last time they had gone back to their neighborhood, hometown or high school, adding that it was not for everyone to do so.

“When was the last time you went back to give advice to the youths, to have conversations with people in the community, to give back, to offer assistance and resources,” she said.

Addressing churchgoers, she asked when was the last time they had gone outside the church walls to see what the community needs are and to talk to people they did not know or somebody they didn’t usually talk to because they look or act differently.

“How would I have made the impact I have made if I was too afraid: ‘they ain’t going to hear what I have to say; they don’t look like me; they are from a different neighborhood,’” she said. “I want to challenge each of us to look within today and say, ‘Have I crossed language barriers; have I crossed cultural barriers?’

“And here is my last one — religious barriers. When was the last time you found yourself having a conversation with someone who did not have the same faith as you? No one is allowed to belittle why you feel the way you feel, so why do we do that to other people?”

She urged those in attendance not to shy away from those conversations.

“We cannot keep avoiding one another,” Atkinson said.

She also encouraged them not to avoid politics because politics do not avoid them from the local level on up.

“Honestly you guys, we are all intertwined into one big web,” Atkinson added. “If you ever look at a spider web, it is beautifully crafted. It looks perfect and symmetric. We are all intertwined that way.”

Atkinson had audience turn to each other and say, “Neighbor, I am you and you are me.”

“If treat myself well, and I treat others the way I want to be treated, and I treat myself well — that means if I treat myself well, then I treat others well,” she said. “How you treat people is a reflection of how you feel about yourself. If you are mean. If you are nasty. If you are rude, how do you really feel about yourself?”

Atkinson closed by talking about relatability.

“When you are out and about and talking to someone who maybe has had a hard time … and you just stop and have a conversation instead of saying, ‘Let me tell you how to get to where I am.’ When was the last time you said, ‘I have been where you are,’” she said. “I call it relatability over reality.

“Sometimes the reality is you think you are so different that it can’t be us,” Atkinson said. “But really it can be.

“I leave you with this last thought. Be neighborly. Stop and say hello. Open the door for someone. Say thank you. Say you are welcome. And remember, as much as there is going on in this society, we are all one community; we are all one voice; we are all one spirit. Love others as you love yourself.”

•

Although Juneteenth has been celebrated in Texas for more than a century, many people in this area knew little about it, said Carrie Kornegay, president of the Mount Olive Carver Alumni chapter, and who served as master of ceremony.

It was only after the political unrest that followed the killing of George Floyd in May 2020 that the celebration began to gain national attention, she added.

Juneteenth was declared a national holiday on June 17, 2021, and recognized as a state holiday the very next day, she said.

On January 11, 2022, Mount Olive officially proclaimed Juneteenth as a town holiday. June 18, 2022, the Carver Alumni and Friends Association, Mount Olive Chapter, sponsored the town’s first Juneteenth celebration, which has been an annual event since, Kornegay said.

“This holiday is culturally significant and serves as a powerful reminder of African-American endurance and resilience,” Kornegay said. “It encourages the acknowledgment of our history and allows African-Americans to reflect on it. This reflection on the strength of the ancestors empowers, inspires and contributes to the development of a stronger and more resilient community for future generations.

“Celebrating Juneteenth helps the Mount Olive Chapter towards achieving its goal of preserving the legacy of Carver High School through community service. This celebration is done with the support of local businesses, churches and nonprofit agencies — and is absolutely free to the public. It aims to bring people of diverse backgrounds together to fellowship and take part in fun-filled activities that nurture the mind, soul and body.”

Kornegay said she was pleased with this year’s celebration despite concerns about inclement weather.

“I am sure that some people did not attend due to the threat of rain, a significant number of people still showed up,” she added. “Everyone seemed to enjoy the event’s activities, which included information booths, games, inspirational speech, praise and hip-hop dancers, gospel music, presentation the meaning of symbols on the Underground Railroad Quilt and lots of food and drinks.

“According to the feedback received from attendees, and Mount Olive Chapter members, the event was very successful and probably would have been much larger were it not for the threat of rain. In spite of everything, we were very pleased with this year’s event and are looking forward to next year.”

DJ Elijah “Sweet LJ” Manley also served as master of ceremony and provided music for the celebration.

Carolyn Dyson and Edna Cox explained the significance of the Underground Railroad Quilt and how the designs in it gave clues and directions to safety.

Denise Sutton and Chandra Williams performed the black national anthem, “Lift Every Voice and Sing.” Sutton also performed “We Are Not Defeated.”

Vanessa Bronson presented a timeline about the road to Juneteenth.

Students from Mrs. Robin’s Academy of Dance performed, and The Souls of Joy from LaGrange performed a gospel music concert.

Torette Williams performed a praise dance to “The Prayer.”