LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (KATV) — The 16th annual Juneteenth in Da Rock festival, hosted by the Mosaic Templars Cultural Center, took place in downtown Little Rock, commemorating over 160 years of freedom for those who were enslaved. The event commemorated over 160 years of freedom for those who were enslaved.
“Unity. Everybody’s having a good time, and this goodness and everything, and it’s just atmosphere. Just make you feel good all over,” said Virgil Willfred Miller Sr., capturing the spirit of the celebration.
The festival, which has been organized by the Mosaic Templars Cultural Center for the past 16 years, aims to ensure Little Rock is part of the national Juneteenth festivities.
Key Fletcher, the center’s director, emphasized the deep connection between the event and the museum’s mission. “The cause of Juneteenth is so inextricably connected to the museum because the two men that founded the Mosaic Templars were two previously enslaved gentlemen that had a thought, a vision of progression forward.”
Fletcher spoke more in depth about how this is a part of the museum’s vow to make sure African American stories are not forgotten.
“The mission of Mosaic Templars Cultural Center is to preserve, interpret and celebrate Arkansas’s African American history. So one year after the museum opened, we thought, okay, there’s no better way to celebrate Arkansas’s black history than what an experience that has always been about celebration and remembrance,” Fletcher said.
The event featured live music, local artists, businesses, community resource groups, and food trucks. It also provided opportunities for voter registration and information, which Keisha Dismute and Lyndajo Watson highlighted as crucial for community engagement.
“To offer voter registration and voter information, that is very important because a lot of people don’t know their voter information, like you need to keep voting. Vote in everything,” they said.
The festival drew large crowds to Ninth Street, with hundreds of vendors and thousands of participants celebrating freedom and liberty. Fletcher noted the significance of the event’s location.
“Every year when we host Juneteenth in Da Rock on the very foundation of where previously enslaved African Americans settled in Little Rock, it means something,” said Fletcher.
“I believe that this is a place, an event, a celebration that we all as Americans, should be a part of because this is about history, not only black history, not only America’s history, but truly history of the world, where you can celebrate the end of something terrible and the beginning of something great called freedom. And that’s what Juneteenth, to me, is about, and also looking forward to seeing how we can be better as a community on all sides of any issue,” Leron McAdoo said.
Those in attendance expressed the importance of the celebration for all Americans.
For those who missed the festival, the Mosaic Templars Cultural Center remains open year-round, offering educational opportunities and a chance to engage with Arkansas’s African American history.
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Check out was real simple, can't wait for the tote bag