Juneteeth events slated to highlight day’s significance
Four days of celebrations will also showcase anti-violence campaign
Juneteenth is fast approaching, and a four-day slate of family-friendly activities that starts this Friday has been scheduled.
Veronica Smith-Creer, former mayor of El Dorado, said she and other organizers of the event are aiming to make this year’s Juneteenth observances impactful for local youth and inclusive of people from all backgrounds.
“Juneteenth, you could say, is an African-American holiday, but it’s really not just that, because it speaks to freedom, which involves everyone,” Smith-Creer said.
“The Day of Freedom” is the theme of this year’s Juneteenth celebrations, which will continue through the weekend and on Monday, June 19.
Juneteenth became a federal holiday in 2021, when President Joe Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act into law. As mayor, Smith-Creer led the effort to declare it a city holiday last year.
On June 19, 1865, Major General Gordon Granger issued General Order No. 3, proclaiming freedom for slaves in Texas, a year-and-a-half after then-President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation. The day has been celebrated since as a time to reflect on the meaning of freedom.
Friday
The Juneteenth weekend celebrations will kick off this Friday, June 16, with a rally at the Union County Courthouse. The event will also mark the deadline to turn in posters for Main Street El Dorado’s Juneteenth poster contest. T-shirts commemorating this year’s holiday will also be handed out for free.
“We’ll have a few performances by a couple of youth groups and then we’ll have a DJ, Brandon White,” SmithCreer said. “We’ll also have someone talk about the meaning of Juneteenth.”
Shemekia Morgan and Kelsey Jackson will lead the rally Friday. Members of the Young Artist Studio – YAS – will perform, including singing a rendition of “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” also known as the Negro or Black National Anthem.
The South Arkansas Historical Society will also have on display on Friday items from its Poor People’s Campaign exhibit, which includes memorabilia and original promotional materials from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s 1968 campaign for economic justice.
MSE will also host games and provide water on Friday, while Murphy USA will have snacks and the ACTIVE Coalition will hand out goodie bags with information about drug and alcohol abstinence and prevention, SmithCreer said.
Representatives from the Karl Malone Auto Group, who are sponsoring the weekend activities along with PJ’s Coffee, will grill and have an ATV on display for viewing as well.
The rally and accompanying street fair Friday are free and open to the public. Festivities will start at 4:30 and continue until around 6 p.m.
Saturday
On Saturday, Front Cover Band will perform at the Union County Fairgrounds, 1432 E. 19th St.
The concert is the only ticketed event scheduled in the Juneteenth observances weekend, and is also the sole adults-only activity. One must be 25 or older to attend. Tickets can be purchased at the gate for $10.
“We’re excited about Front Cover. They’ve been in El Dorado several times, so they’ve got a bit of a following,” Smith-Creer said. “We will be checking IDs. The concert is for grown folks.”
Calton “DJ Dancing Bear” Thurman will also be on hand to provide entertainment Saturday night, and food and drinks will be available at the show.
The concert will start at 8 p.m.
Sunday
On Sunday, the “Youth Explosion” open mic will be held at the El Dorado Municipal Auditorium, 100 E. 8th St., open to any- and everyone who wants to show their talents with performances highlighting Juneteenth or Stop the Violence.
YAS, Upward Bound, J2W and Young Deac have already signed up for the show, but Smith-Creer said there’s plenty of room left for additional speakers or performers.
“People can sign up when they get here,” she said. “We’re really trying to target youth – individuals, organizations, praise groups – (to do) whatever kind of talent they have or that they want to display that adds to Juneteenth or Stop the Violence.”
Those who wish to sign up for the show in advance may do so by calling organizer and City Council member Willie McGhee at 870-314-1441.
A Father’s Day prayer will also be held during the show Sunday, which is free to attend and open to the public.
Monday
Monday will mark the actual Juneteenth holiday, and observances will be held from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the MAD Amphitheater and Playscape, 105 E. Locust.
“We’ll have the Amphitheater, the Playscape and the Splash Pad, and we’re also providing bouncy houses and a waterslide,” Smith-Creer said.
A DJ will be on hand to provide music, and there may end up being a few kickball games played on the Amp lawn, she added. Masons from El Dorado Lodge #151 will grill at the event, while DJ Jeremy “Jayo” Owens will provide music. Sticky Fingerz ice cream truck will also be on-site with treats.
Speakers will have the opportunity to talk about the significance of Juneteenth there as well.
“Even with the holidays we’ve celebrated for years or decades, sometimes people don’t understand the significance of them,” she said. “So we want people to understand the true significance of Juneteenth and why we celebrate.”
The Juneteenth observances on Monday will also be free and open to the public.
Stop the Violence
The four-day Juneteenth celebrations were devised among a group of local residents who are working together to find ways to intervene in and prevent violence in the community, particularly among young people and minors.
Smith-Creer said offering young people the opportunity to do something productive can go a long way toward preventing destructive behaviors.
“Stop the Violence is something Mr. McGhee has been doing a very long time, and we tied it in last year because of him being who he is. This year, we thought it was important to put that at the forefront, now more than ever,” she said. “Since the beginning of the year, El Dorado has seen a lot of violence.”
Organizers are currently seeking volunteers to help with this weekend’s activities. Smith-Creer said if 20-25 people sign on to help, work can be spread among them throughout the weekend, so no one is required for all four days.
Besides PJ’s and Karl Malone Auto Group, other sponsors of this weekend’s activities include the Orlando Reed Sr. Foundation, Elder House & Complete Home Care, Victory Childcare, Ziggy’s Coffee, MyStiq Entertainment, M.A.Y.O.R. Sunshine and Gold Cross Urgent Care.
Organizers include Smith-Creer, McGhee, Morgan, Jackson, White, Barbara Jamerson and Angula Davis.
For more information or to help out, call McGhee at 870-314-1441 or Smith-Creer at 870-315-1459.
“(These celebrations) give families an opportunity to come out and do something fun, and it’s free of charge so it’s not a burden on anyone,” Smith-Creer said. “Things like this give families and youth something else to do, other than being influenced by negative things.”