Juneteenth is a celebration of freedom being observed Friday through Monday in Poplar Bluff. Monday is the official federal holiday.
A meet-and-greet was held Friday at Northside Community Center to kick off the events.
It “is a way to celebrate freedom in the United States, especially for those who have been enslaved,” said Kathern Harris.
The local events “are a wonderful way to make people more aware of the past contribution of all Americans,” Harris explained.
Bonnie Hunt “got all excited” when she learned about the event from her brother, who has been observing the special day for a while where he lives in Higginsville, Missouri.
Hunt is pleased “all races unite for the privilege. I just thank God for this day; a day for all cultures to come together.”
Catherine Willoughby said, “it is time for a celebration and talk about old times, what our forefathers went through to be free. A lot did not know they were free - it was top secret.”
Brenda Schneider of Poplar Bluff calls Juneteenth “a celebration of freedom for everyone.”
The event is “a time of reflection to see where our ancestors were and what they had to go through to get where we are today,” said Carolyn Cooper.
Organizer Annie Hinton’s platform for Juneteenth is education.
“Education is the most important thing we have going,” Hinton said.
She challenged others to hit their search engines and Google things like who developed the cell phone.
It was an African American, Hinton said.
Henry T. Sampson is best known for creating the world’s very first cell phone. Sampson, a native of Jackson, Mississippi, received a bachelor’s degree in science from Purdue University in 1956, and graduated with a master’s degree in engineering from the University of California, Los Angeles, in 1961. He was also the first African American student to earn a doctorate in nuclear engineering in the United States, from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in 1967.
Among the items Hinton displayed for everyone to see were uniforms representing the Negro Baseball League.
The Northside event included games, arts and crafts, music and bingo and lunch.
Saturday events will take place at Bacon Park, including prayer, music with Dee Williams, Ashley Matlock, Yung Zues, Jay Muney, Steezo Lit and Niko Baby, karaoke, a kickball tournament, 3-on-3 basketball tournament, spades tournament, talent show, sack races and fireworks.
Monday, Wheatley School and Black History Museum will host Freedom Options: Breaking Every Chain. The program will be from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 830 Garfield St.
A panel will present career options, said Wheatley Historical Preservation Association Vice President Rex Rattler.
The panel will discuss a variety of career options from working in trades to professional occupations, as well as “making good choices and taking advantage of the freedoms offered,” he said.