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The Juneteenth holiday was celebrated twice over this past week in the city of Franklin via nonprofit Amun Ra Inc.’s third annual Spectacular Juneteenth Cultural Celebration from Thursday-Sunday, June 19-22, and the city’s celebration on Thursday evening.

The Oxford Languages dictionary notes that Juneteenth is “a holiday celebrated on June 19 to commemorate the emancipation of enslaved people in the U.S. The holiday was first celebrated in Texas, where on that date in 1865, in the aftermath of the Civil War, enslaved people were declared free under the terms of the 1862 Emancipation Proclamation.”

Franklin Ward 3 Councilman Gregory McLemore, who is also a representative of Amun Ra, estimated that around 1,500 people came and went across the different days of the June 19-22 event, which had as its theme, “Four Days of Juneteenth.”

The four days included events at four different locations, including Bon Secours – Southampton Medical Center, Barrett’s Landing Park, Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center, and College Drive Park.

Features included a wreath-laying ceremony, red toast, tours, information tents about Nat Turner and The Original Black Panther Party, concerts, kids events, an awards ceremony, a leadership forum, community cook-out, games and more.

McLemore noted that the hot weather outside was intense, but he added that all four days were well-attended without any negative incidents.

He said that for him, “the centerpiece of the whole four days was the Franklin Native Awards Ceremony.” 

At this awards ceremony on Saturday, June 21, at the MLK Center, Franklin and Southampton County natives were honored for their outstanding accomplishments to encourage youth to pursue their dreams. 

Award recipients included law honorees Franklin/Southampton County Sheriff Josh A. Wyche Sr. and Judge Esther Wiggins, military honoree Brig. Gen. Sheila Baxter, NFL Draft honorees Greg Scott and Ashley Lee and entrepreneur honoree Clarence Baker.

McLemore also highlighted the Community Leadership Forum that also took place Saturday at the MLK Center. 

Participants in the forum included, but were not limited to, Franklin Mayor Paul Kaplan, Ward 2 Councilman Richard Grizzard, McLemore, Southampton County School Board Chair Dr. Deborah Goodwyn, Virginia Beach City Councilwoman Dr. Amelia Ross-Hammond and several more.

“It was a wonderful forum to discuss next steps to improve our city,” McLemore said.

In conclusion, he said, “The ‘Four Days Of Juneteenth’ were outstanding for Amun Ra Inc. and the citizens of Franklin.”

The city of Franklin’s Juneteenth Cultural Celebration was held Thursday, June 19, from 6-8:30 p.m. at Barrett’s Landing Park.

Franklin Parks and Recreation Special Events Coordinator Bailey Wilkerson estimated that 150-200 people attended the celebration.

“The community came together to celebrate freedom, reflection and unity!” Wilkerson said. “The city of Franklin’s Juneteenth Cultural Celebration included live music, food trucks, line dancing, face painting, vendors and various kids activities. We had a great turnout, despite the heat and stormy weather at the very end. We want to thank everyone that attended and made this event a success! We can’t wait for next year.”

She noted that although the city was not able to feature its photo booth and a few inflatable activities for kids due to the wind, everything else came together.

“Face painting by Alice in Wonderland was a big hit, as well as Line Dancing with Sheena Graham, ‘Embrace the Move,’” Wilkerson said. “The Cultured Jazz Band kicked off the event with their live performance and had everyone on their feet. We had food trucks featuring TW’s Bistro & Grill and Food Play by Rio Too. 

“We were also joined by some amazing vendors — Franklin Department of Parks and Recreation, City of Franklin Police Department, Blackwater Regional Library, WM Woodworks LLC, Just Be Kind Crochet, and Amun Ra Inc.,” she added.