Performing Group Toxic Crew Elite at the Juneteenth Festival – Photo by Kim Robinson
By Karen Stokes
One of my favorite memories from my childhood in Milwaukee was attending the Juneteenth Day celebration with my cousins, when our cousins came up from Mississippi, adding to the fun and excitement.
How could it not be fun? It was summer, the weather was hot, school was out and our lives were consumed with splashing around in the local pool, buying penny candy at the five and dime, playing outside until the streetlights came on and going to summer festivals.
The sizzle of food on the grill and the intoxicating aroma of the smoky delicious goodness of perfectly seasoned grilled meat awakened my taste buds. My cousin’s favorite was that buttery corn on the cob.
The music was in full blast, I remember hearing the Rufus and Chaka Khan song, “Please Pardon Me” for the first time booming from the speakers of the local urban radio station. Mom the clown gave us kids our very own Black clown to our delight.
Juneteenth was just a funny word to us. We as children were oblivious to the significance of Juneteenth and why it was important for us to celebrate.
Our parents explained to us that Juneteenth Day commemorates the freedom of enslaved African Americans in the United States. On June 19, 1865, Union soldiers arrived in Galveston, Texas, and announced that the Civil War had ended and all enslaved individuals were now free. This announcement came more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation had been issued by President Abraham Lincoln.
While cities nationwide celebrate Juneteenth, Milwaukee has been hosting its own celebration since 1971, making it the oldest and longest-running annual Juneteenth celebration in the United States, according to records from the City of Milwaukee.
While Juneteenth is a day to honor the past, it also serves as an opportunity to envision a better future. The Milwaukee celebration is an outlet for the voices of the community to be heard.
Today, my cousins and I still meet at the Juneteenth celebration, seeking out the familiar smells, sights, and sounds from our childhood. While the music may have changed a lot, the essence of joy and unity persists. As I’ve grown older, I’ve come to appreciate the opportunity to discover unique African cultural items that I couldn’t find anywhere else.
This year on Wednesday, June 19th, share in the experience of fun and exploring African culture, music, and reconnect with family, friends and neighbors. If you haven’t been to this amazing celebration for a while. Welcome Back.