Juneteenth is just around the corner and so is the annual South Arkansas Juneteenth Festival, presented by the Justice League.
Activities for the 2025 event will take place over the course of three days, June 15, 19 and 21, and will be split between the Murphy Arts District (MAD) entertainment complex and Mattocks Park.
Not only will the SAJF 2025 celebrate Juneteenth, also known as “Freedom Day”, (June 19), the festival’s organizers are also teaming up with local churches to honor fathers in recognition of Father’s Day (June 15).
El Dorado City Council Member Andre Rucks announced the Father’s Day component during a regular city council meeting May 8, saying that the purpose of the event is to stress the importance of fathers and fatherhood in the community.
“Men. We want men to come out,” Council Member Willie McGhee chimed in.
Rucks and McGhee both represent Ward 3 on the city council.
McGhee said the Rev. Felton Burgie of Morning Star Baptist Church, No. 2, reached out to him with the idea of presenting an event to bring together men in the community.
The call came after a shooting that left a 19-year-old man dead in the parking lot of Morning Star in March.
The shooting occurred during morning worship services March 23 and while the man’s gunshot wound is thought to have been self-inflicted, El Dorado police are still investigating the incident and have not officially ruled the cause of death as suicide.
McGhee is a member of the Justice League, a local community organization that is named after the popular DC Comics’ superhero team and dedicated to improving the quality of life for local residents.
The idea for the name of the group came from playful banter between McGhee and former El Dorado Mayor Veronica Smith-Creer, who jokingly refer to themselves as Batman and Robin.
Other members of the Justice League are Shemekia Morgan and Kelsey Jackson.
The group presents a host of local events and performs community-service work throughout the year.
In 2022, the Justice League launched a community Juneteenth celebration, now known as the SAJF, with assistance from MAD, Main Street El Dorado and other sponsors.
Activities
SAJF 2025 will kick off at 4 p.m. June 15 in the MAD Amphitheater.
Smith-Creer said the day will include a Father’s Day celebration, guest speakers, information about suicide and mental health awareness, and performances by a local youth gospel choir, The Young Artist Studio and gospel rap artist Darnell Johnson SOTS (Son of the Savior).
Attorneys will be on hand offering a free clinic to educate attendees on steps they can take to seal a criminal record.
There will also be free food and the Justice League will be handing out T-Shirts.
Fun Day, the second leg of the SAJF, is set for 10 a.m. June 19.
Children will be able to frolic in the MAD Playscape, on a water slide and in a bounce house.
Like the kick-off event, Fun Day will include free food, T-shirts and criminal record-sealing clinic.
A Juneteenth Poster Contest is also on tap for the day.
Posters must reflect the theme of “Celebration and Freedom” and feature the colors of red, yellow and green, which represent blood that has been shed in the fight for liberation and human rights and the shared blood of pan-African people; mineral wealth; and growth, prosperity and fertility, respectively.
Entries must be submitted on 11×17 paper or large poster board and include the entrant’s name and phone number on the back.
The deadline to turn in posters is 10 a.m. during the Fun Day event in the MAD Pavilion, which is adjacent to the MAD Amphitheater.
Winners will be announced at noon and prizes awarded to first-, second- and third-place winners.
Smith-Creer said that people who attend SAJF activities in the MAD Amphitheater may bring a blanket or chair on which to sit.
Metal chairs or any other material that could damage the amphitheater turf are prohibited.
A community cleanup will be held at 10 a.m. June 21, starting in Mattocks Park. Local residents are encouraged to participate.
For more information about the SAJF, call Smith-Creer at 870-315-1549, McGhee at 870-314-1411 or Rucks at
Denim, Pearls and Diamonds
The Self Culture Club of El Dorado will present Denim, Pearls and Diamonds from 6 until 10 p.m. June 21 in celebration of Juneteenth.
The event will be held at the El Dorado Conference Center, 311 S. West Ave., and will include food, music provided by a DJ and dancing.
Attendees are encouraged to wear denim attire.
Tickets are $30 each and may be purchased in advance from any Self Culture Club member.
For more information or to purchase tickets, call Gwenda Island at 870-866-4489 or Angela Means at 870-866-1246.
Check out was real simple, can't wait for the tote bag