Hundreds of community members came together June 19 to celebrate the progress that’s been made in the United State and the work yet to come.
Juneteenth, recognizing the day 159 years ago when the last slaves were freed by the Union Army, was celebrated in Red Wing with music, food and fun at Christ Episcopal Church June 19. The Red Wing High School Black Student Union (BSU) and a group of community volunteers organized the city’s third annual Juneteenth celebration.
Events like the Juneteenth celebration are for the younger generation, said Michael Holmes, chair of the Red Wing Human Rights Commission and a Juneteenth volunteer.
“It’s about uplifting these kids and giving them a voice,” he said.
Nicky Buck, a Red Wing School Board member and Juneteenth volunteer, said they’re really proud of BSU leading the Juneteenth planning.
“They’ve really stepped up to the leadership role,” she said.
BSU President Daeja Moore, a recent Red Wing graduate, said the group began meeting once a week in April to plan for the Juneteenth celebration. Members participated in numerous fundraisers and volunteer projects this year to help cover costs and give back to the community, including a clothing drive, a bake sale, establishing a Blue Bookshelf and selling t-shirts.
“Touching a heart a little bit makes such a big difference,” Moore said of the clothing drive’s impact.
This year, BSU also added a new event to the Juneteenth schedule.
BSU Adviser Tre Moore organized Red Wing’s first Juneteenth three-on-three basketball tournament at the Red Wing Family YMCA.
Eleven teams competed in three age divisions. The “Elite” team won for the adults, “Latter Day Saints” won for ages 13-17, and “all the kids were winners,” Moore said.
After the tournament, community members headed to a history presentation at the Red Wing Public Library before making their way to Christ Episcopal Church to enjoy a free meal, live music from headliner Timothy Brown, vendors and resource booths.
Brown is a recording artist with the gospel group Millennials 4 Christ, performs with Patrick Lundy & the Ministers and is a cast member of JAM the Revue.
The church sanctuary acted as Brown’s stage as he sang well-known classic hits that brought audience members to their feet. The pews soon filled with people clapping, dancing and singing along.
Outside the church, the community helped paint two Juneteenth-inspired canvases at the Red Wing Arts Clay & Creative Center booth, while downstairs in the church, a line of children awaited free face paintings by “The Party Lady,” provided by Red Wing Community Education and Recreation.
Children with Juneteenth stickers, buttons and facepaint ran around playing yard games all afternoon.
“This is a big thing in Black culture… letting the kids run around and play, breaking bread, talking to somebody you don’t know and just seeing the smiles it brings,” Holmes said.
Holmes has lived in Red Wing for 30 years and remembers a time in the city’s history when “only a handful of Black folks” lived here, he said. But today, diversity continues to grow in Red Wing.
“A motto in my household that me and my daughter say is, ‘Spread love, not hate,’” he said. “And that’s the message I want to (share with) everybody.”
Holmes and Buck are both community volunteers on the committee that helped make this event possible.
Buck said Juneteenth is an opportunity to acknowledge history, learn from past mistakes and prevent them from happening again.
“It’s important that our community learns to understand, to uplift, to support and to celebrate our Black American relatives,” she said. “Communities are designed to be inclusive and diverse, and appropriate representation is necessary to let the people tell their stories.”
