BY ROBERT SANCHEZ
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Jackie Walker of Cumminsville, and her daughter Jackie, 13, watch a performance at the Juneteenth celebration.
(Yoni Pozner photo)
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The beating of African drums and the warmth of a sunny Saturday afternoon in Eden Park served as a backdrop to the Tristate's Juneteenth Festival. The festival is part of a nationwide celebration that marks the end of slavery in the United States. Participants said the day is a time to put racial issues on the back burner.
"This isn't just a black thing, it's a family thing," said Lockland resident Donald Withers, whose wife and 5-year-old daughter, Maranda, were listening to gospel music. "This is something for the whole community, not just one type of people."
Juneteenth began in Galveston, Texas, when Union troops marched into the city June 19, 1865, and delivered the news that the Civil War was over. Slavery was abolished in the South, and the annual celebration began. Similar festivals took root across the country, including Cincinnati.
The event began in the Tristate 11 years ago after Lydia Morgan of Cincinnati visited a Juneteenth Festival in Phoenix. From its small beginnings, it has grown to a venue that attracted several thousand people Saturday.
Sambala Gakou booth ready to sell beads, fabric and drums.
(Yoni Pozner photo)
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Education and fun are the keys to a successful celebration, Ms. Morgan said.
"At first, we only had a few people coming out, and it was like a mini-party," she said. "Now, it's completely changed, and we're getting more people interested.
"It's a good feeling when people can come away from this feeling like they've learned something."
Visitors had a chance to see traditional African-American art, crafts and music. The opportunity to have fun while learning a cultural lesson was the most important part of the afternoon for many people.
"No one seems to be getting the cultural education they need," said Elliott Jordan, a Cincinnati resident. "Maybe we can take some of these positive thoughts and activities back to our communities and make them better." "It's a good feeling when people can come away from this feeling like they've learned something." -- Lydia Morgan
