Juneteenth Fort Worth 2020

www.unityunlimited.org

Juneteenth is the oldest known celebration commemorating the ending of slaver y in the United States. On June 19, 1865 Union soldiers led by Major General Gordon Granger landed at Galveston, Texas with news that the war had ended and that the enslaved were now free. Please note this was nearly two and a half years after President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation - which became official January 1, 1863. Unfortunately, the Emancipation Proclamation had little impact on Texans due to the minimal number of Union troops available to enforce the new Executive Order. However, with the surrender of General Lee in April of 1865, and the arrival of General Granger’s regiment, the forces were finally strong enough to influence and overcome the resistance.

One of General Granger’s first orders of business was to read to the people of Texas, General Order Number 3 which started most significantly with: "The people of Texas are informed that in accordance with a Proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free. This involves an absolute equality of rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves, and the connection heretofore existing between them becomes that between employer and free laborer."

As one might imagine, the reactions to this phenomenal news ranged from pure shock to immediate jubilation. While many lingered to see how this new employer to employee relationship was going to work out, many left before considering any offers. Although they had nowhere to go, they felt that leaving their current situation would be their first step into their long awaited freedom.

Heading north seemed a logical destination for those who believed it truly represented freedom, while the desire to reach family members in neighboring states brought some folk to Louisiana, Arkansas and Oklahoma. Settling into these new areas as free men and women created a new set of realities and challenges for establishing a previously non-existent status for African Americans in America. The Juneteenth celebration was set aside as a time for reassuring each other, praying for one another and seeking any missing family members. Juneteenth continued to be wellregarded holiday in Texas decades later, with many former slaves and descendants making an annual pilgrimage back to Galveston on the noted date.

Juneteenth almost always focused on education and self-improvement. Thus, often guest speakers are brought in and the elders are called upon to recount the events of the past. Prayer services are also a major part of the celebrations. Eventually, as African Americans became land owners, land was donated and dedicated for these festivities. In Mexia, the local Juneteenth organization purchased Booker T. Washington Park, which had become the Juneteenth celebration site in 1898. For decades these annual celebrations flourished, growing continuously with each passing year.

Dress was also an important element in early Juneteenth customs.

During slavery there were laws on the books in many areas that prohibited or limited the dressing of the enslaved. During the initial days of the emancipation celebrations, there are accounts of former slaves tossing their ragged garments into the creeks and rivers to adorn clothing taken from the plantations belonging to their former 'masters'.

Juneteenth Celebrations Decline Economic and cultural forces provided for a decline in Juneteenth activities and participants beginning in the early 1900’s. Classroom and textbook education in lieu of traditional home and family-taught practices stifled the interest of the youth due to less emphasis and detail on the activities of former slaves. Classroom text books proclaimed Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation of January 1, 1863 as the date signaling the ending of slavery - and little or nothing on the impact of General Granger’s arrival on June 19th.

The Depression forced many people off the farms and into the cities to find work. In these urban environments, employers were less eager to grant leaves to celebrate this date. Thus, unless June 19th fell on a weekend or holiday, there were very few participants available. July 4th was the already established Independence holiday and a rise in patriotism steered more toward this celebration.

The Civil Rights movement of the 50’s and 60’s yielded both positive and negative results for the Juneteenth celebrations. While it pulled many of the African American youth away and into the struggle for racial equality, many linked these struggles to the historical struggles of their ancestors. This was evidenced by student demonstrators involved in the Atlanta civil rights campaign in the early 1960’s, who wore Juneteenth freedom buttons.

On January 1, 1980, Juneteenth became an official state holiday of Texas through the efforts of Al Edwards, an African American state legislator. The successful passage of this bill marked Juneteenth as the first emancipation celebration granted official state recognition.

Today, Juneteenth is enjoying a phenomenal growth rate within communities and organizations throughout the country.

There are 43 states that recognize June 19th as an official state holiday and many countries around the world holding observances in support of the symbol of freedom it represents. In recent years, a number of local and national Juneteenth organizations have arisen all with the mission to promote and cultivate knowledge and appreciation of African American history and culture.

Juneteenth today, celebrates African American freedom and achievement, while encouraging continuous self- development and respect for all cultures. As it takes on a more national, symbolic and even global perspective, the events of 1865 in Texas are not forgotten, for all of the roots tie back to this fertile soil from which a national day of pride is growing.

Courtesy of History of Juneteenth ©JUNETEENTH.COM

Pastor Watking S. Todd is the proud pastor of the Mount Horum Missionary Baptist Church of Fort Worth, Texas. He was licensed and later ordained at the Mount Olive Missionary Baptist Church of Fort Worth, Texas under the tutelage of Pastor William Timothy Glynn.

Through years of service, his calling has been confirmed and strengthened. Among the gifts and talents which God has blessed him, none are more meaningful and fulfilling than preaching and teaching the Word of God. He is extremely sensitive to the fact that it is because of God’s grace and mercy that he is here today and gives all praises and glory to God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Pastor Todd has been married for over 20 years to the lovely Chandra E. Todd. They are proud parents of two children; Chanyn A. Todd, and Chaun W. Todd

HELP MAKE JUNETEENTH A NATIONAL HOLIDAY

At 94, Ms. Opal isn’t giving her campaign to bring awareness to Juneteenth being a National Holiday.

She acknowledges that the loss of life fueled the heightened awareness of the nation to the importance and need for the holiday, and appreciates the corporate response to do what Congress has not done.

She wants to thank everyone, from the grassroots individuals to the A-list celebrities who signed her online petition and shared with their family and friends to get to the 1.5 million signatures that were delivered to Congress this fall. She wants to deliver another 1.5 million in January, but doesn’t want anyone to have to die to get our attention that we need to act now on the legislation.

Sign the petition TODAY

www.juneteenth.us If you want to host an Opal’s Walk in your city, contact_us@unityunlimited.org (682) 738-6055

Why Celebrate Juneteenth Across America?

It’s Just a Texas Holiday, Right?

By Dione Sims

While it is true that the enforcement of the Emancipation Proclamation made effective by President Lincoln on January 1, 1863 did not reach the coast of Galveston, Texas until June 19, 1865, the cause for celebration is not only the heritage of freed Texans but of every descendant of those enslaved against their will. Some holidays are designated by the lunar calendar like Easter, while others like Thanksgiving are set on a particular day no matter what the date. Yet others had their date chosen so that commemoration would always happen at the same time like Christmas. Thankfully, Juneteenth or June 19th has historical significance that cannot be refuted because on that date over 250,000 slaves in Texas gained their freedom. This cannot be denied. But why should one state’s freedom day be chosen over the other times when freedom came? Let’s take a look at four distinct times when the news of freedom was marked.

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January 1, 1863 freed many enslaved in the rebellious states, but did nothing for those slave holding states that did not secede from the Union. Besides that, what are people doing on New Year’s day? Celebrating the start of a new year, of course or getting over celebrating New Year’s Eve. June 19, 1865 is when Texas slaves are freed December 6, 1865 marks the ratification of the 13th amendment which abolished slavery in the US which covers the remaining states in the union. However what are people preparing for in December? That’s right, the Christmas holidays, Hannukah or even Kwansa.

June 14, 1866 is when a treaty was signed with the five Indian nations to free their enslaved because they were sovereign nations and didn’t have to abide by US law on their lands.

With so many dates on which to celebrate freedom, it would be easier to choose a single day to commemorate the abolition of slavery all across the country, and why not choose a day when actual slaves were freed. It also helps that 47 states officially have Juneteenth Days of Observance and three now have official paid holidays with more corporations joining this year to make it a company paid holiday.

There are more reasons to choose June 19th for commemorating the ending of slavery which are expounded in the Juneteenth 101 document compiled by the National Juneteenth Observance Foundation founded by the late Dr. Ronald Meyers. In it you will see the historical timeline of significant incidents that contributed to reasons to celebrate freedom.

Join the National Juneteenth Observance Foundation Mission Statement: “To bring all Americans together to celebrate our common bond of freedom through the recognition, observance, education and historic preservation of Juneteenth in America.”

NJOF is a national foundation, including hundreds of local organizations, that have been instrumental in the passage of Juneteenth Independence Day legislation for nearly 25 years in more than 40 states and the District of Columbia.

Members are available to provide help and support to local organizations wanting help with producing a Juneteenth celebration, social media support and public relations as well and education.

Join the conference call with President Steve Williams and the team every Saturday at 12:00 CST (720) 453-2464

www.njof.org

LIVE Broadcast from McDonald Branch YMCA 2701 Moresby St. Fort Worth, TX 76105 7:00 PM Dr. Brendalyn Jackson, Event Chair

3rd Annual Erma C. Johnson Hadley Community Honors Prelude – Legends of Fort Worth

Welcome

Dion Hood, Master of Ceremony

Invocation

Pastor Robert Mc Ginty Community Missionary Baptist Church

Occasion

Dione Sims Unity Unlimited, Executive Director

Remembering Erma Hadley

Reginald Gates, Vice Chancellor TCC Dr. Dorothy (Tina) Jenkins, TCC Mattie Peterson Compton

Song

Aakosya

Keynote Speaker

Dr. Joseph E. Guinn, MD Music Performed by John Taylor

Song

Aakosya Community Honors DEVOYD JENNINGS, Servant Leadership Award Presented by Ardenia Gould MARTHA LEONARD, Living Legacy Award Presented by Ms. Opal Lee

NEIL WILLIAMS & CHANNING GODFREY PEOPLES, Emerging Visionary Award

Presented by Dione Sims Scholarship Presentations JACKSON ROBLOW, Fort Worth Academy of Fine Arts RACHEL KELLUM, Chisolm Trail High School Closing Remarks Dione Sims, Unity Unlimited, Inc. Ms. Opal Lee, Grandmother of Juneteenth

3rd Annual Erma C. Johnson Hadley Community Honors Master of Ceremony - Dion Hood is a graduate of Alabama State University and has a Master of Arts in Theatre from Regent University. He is the Director of Fine Arts at Universal Academy (UA) in Irving, Texas and the Founder/Artistic Director of Future Generation Artist, a multi-discipline performing and special events arts organization.

He is the first and only African American Male Director to win the Best Actor Award and Best Stage Play for seven consecutive years (2009-2016). has written and directed over 50 children and professional theatrical productions. Of his many accomplishments, he has directed the UA Theater Arts Program in the national competition at Disney Land taking home First Place in the vocal competitions and took 3rd overall nationally in Best of Show and Best Dance Award at the 2009 Musical Theatre Competition of America in Fullerton, CA.

Keynote Speaker – Dr. Joseph Guinn, MD is a vascular surgeon here in Fort Worth where he returned after obtaining his medical degree from Drexel University College of Medicine in Philadelphia, PA and completing his residency in Youngstown, OH. He currently serves as the Associate Program Director for Medical City Fort Worth and is an Associate Professor for UNT Health Science Center.

He is a second-generation medical professional whose father Dr. Edward Guinn turned down lucrative partnerships in Philadelphia where he did his residency to return to open his practice in Stop Six to serve the underserved.

A physician by vocation, but a healer by calling, Dr. Guinn delivers pointed anecdotes about the human experience that cause you to think and examine what is the common bond that joins us all. He's had a rich and colorful upbringing that has shaped the man he is today that cares about the human condition and seeks to help make it better wherever he can.

Born of Ghanaian descent, Aakosya, which in the Ghanaian culture is the name given for a female born on Sunday, displayed musical talents from the age of three and a passion for singing that flourished in church choirs and her teenage girl group. She developed more artistry talents of writing and producing her signature Afro-beats and eclectically soulful sound that mixes sassy and cool with a laid-back vibe. Despite the adversities she faced as she developed into an artist that does not fit into one category, Aakosya set out to make her dreams become a reality. Her belief that a woman should be strong, sexy, and independent without succumbing to the stereotypical Hip-Hop or Pop perspectives that the media loves to exploit helps her to believe that the world can be inspired by her voice and give purpose to empowering women. A firm believer in paying it forward, Aakosya gives back to the community through teaching the youth performance skills and by lending her talents to charity events all over.

A native of Fort Worth, Devoyd Jennings grew up supporting the gold and blue at I.M. Terrell High School graduating in 1966. In honor of the heritage of his alma mater, he lobbied and won the approval of the FWISD trustees to establish a Performing Arts Academy and STEM Program to be located at his former high school.

Having grown up in the city, Dee has taken the leadership role in several community and civic issues. He has served on numerous boards including: The Texas Association of Business – 1995 to 2015, Texas Wesleyan University – 1989 to 2006, North Texas Commission – 1993 to 2003 and is a past chairman for the Fort Worth Metropolitan Black Chamber 1986 to 1992 and Chairman of the Texas Association of African American Chambers,1992 to 2000..he was most recently the Chairman of the Business Diversity Advisory Council of the North Texas Toll Authority and presently serves as Vice Chairman of the MBE Committee for Ft. Worth.

Mr. Jennings served as the first President Southeast Fort Worth, Inc. the premier community redevelopment agency for a quarter of the city of Ft. Worth’s land mass. While serving on the board of the North Texas Commission, he helped develop a Mentor-Entrepreneur Program that the US Treasury Department selected as a model business–to-business mentoring program for other cities to emulate in 1999.

Fort Worth native Marty Leonard has been a vital part to the DFW community for over 60 years. She has dedicated her life to supporting the community and various initiatives throughout the Fort Worth community. Some of her most notable contributions have been sitting on boards for community organizations such as the Tarrant Regional Water District, Susan G. Komen, Kids Who Care, Baylor All Saints Foundation, United Way of Tarrant County, Texas Bank: Board of Directors, and a host of many others.

Ms. Leonard’s interests and hobbies are also connected to bettering the world and community around her through curating history and conserving nature. In her free time, you will find her bird watching, hiking, golfing, and or walking. She has had the honor of being an important part of the historical upkeep of our Fort Worth community through her gift as a collector for St. Francis and Leonard’s Department Store as a museum collector.

A woman of many gifts, achievements and contributions Ms. Martha V. Leonard is an iconic figure to our Fort Worth Community.

Neil Creque Williams and Channing Godfrey Peoples-Williams are both Masters of Fine Arts graduates of USC School of Cinematic Arts and 2017 Sundance Creative Producing Fellows. Channing is one of Filmmaker Magazine “25 New Faces of Independent Film” for 2018. As an African American woman, her films are character-driven stories focusing on the resilience of the human spirit, often featuring black women at a turning point in their lives. As a Writer/Director, Neil’s shorts have played international film festivals and been featured in Time, Inc publications. Neil has received support from Sundance Institute, IFP, SFFilm/ Rainin and Westridge Foundation.

They are a dynamic husband and wife team who most recently received acclaim for their feature film debut, Miss Juneteenth, that premiered in U.S. Dramatic Competition at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival. The movie won the Louis Black “Lone Star” Award at the 2020 SXSW Film Festival and Best Narrative Feature at the 2020 BlackStar Film Festival. and has produced original content for Refinery29 and Level Forward.

To the recipients of the Erma C. Johnson Hadley Honor Awards 2020 The Fort Worth Metropolitan Black Chamber of Commerce applauds you, and we trust that you will continue to contribute to the legacy of a woman who was an incredible leader, activist, mentor and untiring advocate for the voiceless, disadvantaged and dispossessed individuals in our community. From it’s beginning, Erma was a

founding member, staunch supporter and longtime advocate of the Black Chamber. MAKE ERMA PROUD!

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