On Saturday, June 18, The Watson Family Foundation will host a free family-friendly event at Museum Plaza, located at 120 Church Street, from 12 p.m.-6 p.m. This event will include live performances throughout the day, speakers, games, various vendors, a kid’s play zone, a live DJ, and food trucks. This is a family reunion-themed event where everyone is welcome to celebrate black culture, business, and progress. Kimberly and Aaron Watson share the details.
The Watson Family Foundation is also awarding a college scholarship. Here is the winning essay by Ariauna Range:
What Does Juneteenth Mean to Me?
Juneteenth is a holiday to commemorate the emancipation of enslaved African Americans. The Emancipation Proclamation, which declared all slaves free in the Union and the Confederacy, was published on Janurary 1, 1863, but the Confederacy kept the black community enslaved. Following the Empancipation Proclamation, the 13th Amendment, which abolished slavery, was passed on Janurary 31, 1865. However, the enslaved people of Texas were not told of their independence until June 19, 1865.
Juneteenth has become a holiday that symbolizes the resilience and strength of the African American community. The African American community has dealt with institutional racism since the onslaught of slavery and insitutional racism continues in the present day, manifesting in a lack of access to healthcare, education, jobs, housing, and other fundamental needs. This has kept African Americans from improving their social stature and escaping generational poverty. Nevertheless, Juneteenth is a day to celebrate the triumphs over the struggles, thank the ancestors for being resilient within slavery, thank those who fought for equal rights, to gather together and celebrate all the accomplishments within the face of adversity, and to discuss how to improve the lives of future generations of African Americans. Juneteenth to me is a day to honor and recognize the perseverance of the African American community and to demonstrate and feel the love and bravery of the community, past and present. It is a day to have pride in being black in America and to ensure that the African American experience is a positive, loving one, not just one filled with negativity and hardships.
 Juneteenth is a significant holiday for the African American community, especially the Texan African American community. However, I did not grow up celebrating Juneteenth, instead I grew up celebrating the 20th of May. May 20,1865 was the emancipation day for the enslaved in Florida. Every year, my church would have a celebration to commemorate the holiday and to recognize the struggles and the achievements of the black community, especially those in Florida. I have visited the building where the emancipation was read multiple times and I discussed May 20th and its impact in my classes. May 20th was a day of fellowship, community, and a joyous day for me. It made me proud to be a southern black girl and I carry that as a young black woman. I remember watching the older black women and looking up to them, so in the present I continue to try to emulate them. It was important for me to see a happy, caring black community so I could develop a high self esteem and secure sense of identity in America. It is important to recognize these dates, celebrate the perseverance of black Americans, and acknowledge the history of America. It is essential that these celebrations are joyous and filled with members of the community to demonstrate that the African American community is strong and united and will continue to fight and improve itself, just like prior generations were able to do.
