Community celebrates Juneteenth, freedom at annual event June 21

“Freedom Day” arrived in Texas more than two years after President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation, and Juneteenth remains an annual commemoration of the end of slavery in the United States of America.
It was on June 19, 1865, that Union General Gordon Granger reiterated the order than all enslaved people were free, and the date became a federal holiday in 2021.
In addition to marking the date next Thursday, locals will gather Saturday, June 21, for the Gladewater MLK/Juneteenth Committee’s Car Parade & Picnic in the Park.
The festivities begin at 10 a.m. downtown as participants roll toward Bumble Bee Park.
According to organizers, “There will be free food, music, a bounce house and more. Bring the family and enjoy!”
Other activities include a 2 on 2 Basketball Tournament, Spades, Dominoes, line dancing and more, running until 2 p.m. that afternoon.
According to committee leader Odette Alexander, “Juneteenth is largely seen as an African-American thing. It is seen as a holiday that is just observed by African Americans and is poorly understood outside of the African-American community,” she told participants in 2023. “It is perceived as being part of black culture and not ‘American culture,’ so to speak.
“However, Juneteenth is an opportunity for all people in this country to observe, recognize, and reflect on the history and contributions of the Black experience in the United States.”
In late May, Alexander and fellow committee member Sandra Smith presented the organization’s inaugural scholarships to two Gladewater High School students, Olivia Hawley and Jasmine Fisher. Each received $500 to further her studies, the funds raised through the committee’s ongoing fundraising at Juneteenth, on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day and throughout the year.
“Congratulations to you both on your graduation and best wishes for your future endeavors!” the committee announced May 29.
To sign-up for the parade or to learn more about the event, call 903-806-5443 or 903-237-9740.