Macon Magazine

LOCAL BUZZ Macon makes Juneteenth bigger than ever THIS YEAR, Macon celebrated Juneteenth with several days of celebration and observation. The holiday commemorates freedom for Black Americans from centuries of enslavement. Juneteenth's namesake is June 19, 1865 – the day Union forces reached the small town of Galveston, Texas with news of the Emancipation Proclamation. Though the order had been signed two and a half years before, slavery continued where Confederate forces remained in many areas of the United States, even after formal Confederate surrender and the official end of the Civil War. Only after these local forces surrendered and enslaved people learned of the new law did the freedmen rejoice. Also called Freedom Day, Emancipation Day, or Jubilee Day, the celebrations have spread across the country since 1866, serving as a symbol of freedom and African American resilience in the face of oppression. Today, Juneteenth is recognized as a federal holiday, marking an important milestone in the ongoing struggle for equality and justice. Juneteenth was designated as a federal holiday in 2021, but in Macon, it has a much longer history. This year, the Kwanzaa Cultural Access Center and Torchlight Academy celebrated Macon's 31st Juneteenth Freedom Festival in Tattnall Square Park, a free event for the community that took place on June 17 and 18. This year, the event was sponsored by the Macon200 bicentennial celebration, among other community organizations. The location of the Juneteenth Freedom Festival has historic importance. In Macon, enslaved Black people became freedmen sometime between April 20, 1865 – when Macon was surrendered at Tattnall Square Park to the Union Army – and July 1865 – when a formal proclamation of emancipation was made from the Bibb County courthouse, and the U.S. Freedman's Bureau arrived to aid formerly enslaved Black people. The celebration included music, food and art vendors, activities like Zumba and Pickleball, and the finals of the Juneteenth Africa Spelling Bee. There were step shows from Divine Nine sorority organizations, Black Union Civil War soldier reenactors, and Father's Day events like a Father/ Son Lookalike Contest. Live music of various genres from neo-soul to hip hop was presented for audiences. Storytellers Macon presented stories on "The Spirit of Freedom" as their monthly theme on June 13 at Grant's Lounge, with featured storytellers curated by Ansley Booker and the opportunity for anyone to tell a five minute story. The Real Talk Hip Hop Summit, an annual event organized by Vinson Muhammad, brought together education and discussion on real-world issues together with the language of hip-hop at the Douglass Theatre on June 16. And this year, a Juneteenth Parade and Black Family Reunion took place downtown for the first time on Monday, June 19, organized by a new group called Macon Black Culture. Muse Dixon was one of the main organizers of the parade, along with other Macon Black Culture founders Nadiyah Harris, Brandon Harris, and Marshal Talley. Dixon believes the Juneteenth celebrations in Macon "put a spotlight on Black excellence in our city." They were partnered with the aforementioned organizers of the Juneteenth festival in Tattnall Square The location of the Juneteenth Freedom Festival has historic importance. In Macon, enslaved Black people became freedmen sometime between April 20, 1865 – when Macon was surrendered at Tattnall Square Park to the Union Army – and July 1865 – when a formal proclamation of emancipation was made from the Bibb County courthouse, and the U.S. Freedman's Bureau arrived to aid formerly enslaved Black people. 28 maconmagazine.com | JUNE/JULY 2023

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