Republic file photo Jordyn Edwards eats a snow cone during last year’s Juneteenth celebration paired with the city’s Ethnic Expo series.
Columbus native Alyse Tucker Bounds thinks back to last year’s most successful ever local celebration of Juneteenth, and takes a moment to consider the estimated attendance of 1,000 of more people along Fourth Street in downtown Columbus over several hours for music, food, shopping and more.
“Definitely feels like progress,” said Tucker Bounds, the vice president of the organizing Columbus/Bartholomew County Area Chapter of the NAACP.
Juneteenth is now a national holiday — the day actually falls on Sunday, though this year’s local, free celebration is Saturday — commemorating the release of the last United Sates slaves in 1865 from Galveston, Texas. The name Juneteenth is a combination of the words June and nineteenth. The day is also called Emancipation Day and Freedom Day.
Festivities will unfold from 1 to 7 p.m. along Fourth Street on opposite sides of Washington Street, with about 20 vendors. Nearby First Christian Church will feature bounce houses, and Sno Biz shaved ice will give away free snow cones in front of the church from 2 to 5 p.m. The NAACP will give away free bottled water. Also, the Bartholomew County Public Library has planned all-ages activities — children’s storytimes, teen activities, racial equity book club kits — from 4 to 6 p.m. on its outdoor plaza at 536 Fifth St.
Gallery 506 inside the Columbus Area Visitors Center at 506 Fifth St. will kick off an exhibit highlighting emerging Black artists.
The 2021 gathering attracted by far the largest crowd for the event since it began in Columbus in 2002. Most years, when it was held at local parks such as Donner and Ninth Street, it attracted perhaps 200 people, with most of those being African Americans. One year, it drew fewer than 100 people, according to organizers.
Last year, the attendance represented a broad ethnic mix for the city, which is something organizers said they have wanted for years. Plus, NAACP leaders also have said for years that Black freedoms and equality are important issues to far more than just Black residents, who account for 2.4 percent of the county population.
Jessica Gorham, the NAACP’s coordinator for the event, said the Columbus Area Visitors Center’s pairing of the event with the city’s Ethnic Expo summer/fall series made a big difference in visibility and popularity.
“A lot of things came together last year and created a perfect opportunity to attract people’s support,” Gorham said. “I think the connection with Ethnic Expo really helped a lot with exposure. That helped a lot of people say to themselves, ‘OK, we can definitely attend this even though we’re not a part of the NAACP.”
Gorham mentioned that she wants everyone to enjoy the deejay music, food and more without feeling obligated to focus intensely on the slavery link to Juneteenth. She said the day is meant to be social, enjoyable and not just historical.
“White allies (to Black causes) sometimes feel as though they can’t really be allies because of the guilt they feel,” she said. “And it’s not fair to always ask every Black person here to be an activist.”
She mentioned that, amid simple, social interaction, the meaning and the impact of the day gradually can become better known. That’s significant, especially since a number of local Black residents have said they were unfamiliar with the day until they moved to Columbus and attended the event.
Juneteenth closings
The federal holiday will be observed Monday, with several closings.
- Columbus City Hall will be closed Monday. All city trash collections will be on schedule Monday. Columbus City offices will reopen for normal business hours on Tuesday.
- Bartholomew County offices and the Bartholomew County Courthouse will be closed Monday.
- The Columbus City Utilities Office will be closed Monday. Business hours resume Tuesday at 7 a.m. Customers with a problem with water or sewer service should call 812-372-8861 and follow the prompts.
