Issue link: http://maconmagazine.uberflip.com/i/1523410
74 maconmagazine.com | June/July 2024 intelligent, ingenious people we really are – that made remarkable and meaningful contributions not just to the building and uplifting of Macon, but to the entire world." — Steve and Marie Duval; entrepreneurs, educators, historians "Juneteenth represents a time to seek out greater knowledge of, study, and reflect upon the deepest truths of our history. It is a time to learn of, honor, and build upon the greatness of our ancestor's suffering, endurance, sacrifices, achievements, and gifts. — George F. Muhammad; co-founder and president of Kwanzaa Cultural Access Center, Inc. "Enslavement stripped Black folks of our African culture. Much of our existing culture was created from the struggle and conditions of American slavery. For me Juneteenth is a beginning and an understanding that I'm not defined by others or confined by my conditions because like my ancestors, I define myself." — Weston Stroud; Macon-Bibb County Traffic Safety Manager "Juneteenth embodies the strength and resilience of the Black experience. It illuminates the systematic and structural challenges endured by generations of Black people. It stands as a celebration of our identity and heritage." — Zelma Redding and Karla Redding-Andrews; spouse and daughter of Otis Redding, Jr.; president and vice president of the Otis Redding Center for the Arts, respectively. "Juneteenth is the spirit and a celebration of times that could not be acknowledged, of people who could not be revered, customs that could not be respected, and history that could not be written down. Juneteenth is the acknowledgement of the good and bad, but also the expression of human beings and their desire to be free forever." — Elaine Lucas, Macon-Bibb County Commissioner "It's an opportunity for me to celebrate and recognize the freedom of our ancestors with others, while educating current and future generations about the racial disparities and inequities that our ancestors had to overcome. It's also a 'self-liberating' movement that inspires me to keep pushing and to appreciate the small wins in life." — Shelton Land; executive director of the historic Douglass Theatre Andrews, who expressed their desire for the community to use Juneteenth as an opportunity to admire how far we have come and where we are going in Macon and throughout the world. With the theme "Black Girl Magic" as the anchor of their activities and the Storytellers show, Macon Black Culture will also honor three local living legends and two posthumously: Commissioner Elaine Lucas, M.A. Evans Grade School founder Lillie Ruth Gantt-Evans, and Gloria Cissé with Southern Center for Choice Theory and Macon Mental Health Matters, along with the late Ruth Hartley Mosley and WMAZ- TV news anchor Tina Hicks. These icons are receiving awards for the indelible marks they made on the community. "It's such an honor to be recognized. I serve because it is my duty to give back. I hope that my works speak for me," said Lucas. "Sometimes I think that I am not visible but, in these instances, I'm reminded that what I do is not in vain," added Cissé. Lucas and Cissé were also asked by Macon Magazine what Juneteenth means to them, along with other notable members of the Macon community. Here's what they had to say. Visit juneteenthmacon.com for full event listings, ticketing, and other information about the festival, or find Kwanzaa Cultural Access Center on Facebook. For parade info and MBC events, visit maconblackculture.com. "As a descendant of formerly enslaved people raised in the deep South, Juneteenth is an opportunity to remember the sacrifices of my ancestors who died for me to have a chance to live and those ancestors who chose to live so that I might have a chance to be the actualization of their wildest dreams." — Gloria Cissé; Southern Center for Choice Theory co-founder "Juneteenth symbolizes the spirit of resilience and the pursuit of freedom in the face of adversity. It's a poignant reminder of both triumphs and struggles of American history. For me it's a celebration of liberation, a reflection on the journey towards equality, and a call to honor the sacrifices made by past generations." — Gerri McCord; former executive director of the Ruth Hartley Mosley Women's Center and first Black board chair of the Historic Macon Foundation "For us, Juneteenth is not just a celebration, but another reminder of America's complicated history as it relates to African Americans. It's a reminder that we endured slavery, Reconstruction, Jim Crow, the Civil Rights era and beyond. As we celebrate, we must remember ourselves as the strong, resilient, M A C O N I T E S S AY: What Juneteenth means to me 2023 parade participants aboard a float on Cherry Street, including Kim Talley, center.