JoCo Juneteenth celebrations offer opportunity to learn from past, change future

Juneteenth celebrations have been gathering steam, and this year Johnson County made it official.

In October the board of county commissioners marked Juneteenth, which commemorates the emancipation of enslaved African-Americans, as a county holiday.

The festivities kicked off with a celebration at the Johnson County Arts & Heritage Center June 11. At press time, Jessica McCallop-McClennan was expected to speak. Her family settled in the area just after the Civil War.

Her relative, Robert McCallop, started a bus company to bring Black Johnson County students to Wyandotte County so they could continue their education when there were no options for them in Johnson County.

Having community input was important to the event’s organizers.

“We convened some stakeholders and community partners and tried to do what we do best in this building, which is to celebrate through art, culture, history and coming together as a community. It came about with a desire to serve the public and build something with the public,” said Mary McMurray, director of the Johnson County Museum.

Among the activities planned: The American Jazz Museum’s storytellers, and a performance by jazz musician Eboni Fondren. The county museum opened its redlining exhibit to the public for free. The exhibit will be on display until Jan. 7.

Also getting in on the fun was the Johnson County Library, which put up a special Walk and Read display showcasing “Opal Lee and What It Means to Be Free” by Alice Faye Duncan and “Change Sings” by Amanda Gorman. That will also be available at the Juneteenth in Johnson County: Learn the Past…Change the Future event on June 19, the actual date of the holiday.

A more hands-on way attendees got involved was through a community art project based on a special Juneteenth graphic designed by Emily Alvarez. Participants glued tissue paper to backing to recreate the logo. The final product will be on display at the arts and heritage center until the end of the month.

“I think we hope this event honors the history, that it celebrates the end of slavery in the United States and that it gives us a great opportunity to learn and gather together as a community,” McMurray said.

There are several Juneteenth events still to come this weekend. On Saturday, the third annual Advocacy and Awareness Peace March and Rally will begin at 11 a.m. in Thomson Park, 8045 Santa Fe Drive.

Last year’s rally was also themed around Juneteenth. Although the rally is not a county-run event, organizers are partnering with county personnel to get the word out about it.

The rally will kick off with a march from the Overland Park City Hall to the park.

“There have been many, many people, who I consider my ancestors, who paved the way for us. Any time they wanted to see a policy change or they wanted to see elected officials make a difference or make a decision based off of our community, they marched,” said Linnaia McKenzie, founder of the Advocacy and Awareness Group of Johnson County. “When you think about the march in Selma, the March on Washington, it was a march that really initiated the change during those times.”

Speakers at the event will include Stacey Knoell, executive director of the Kansas African American Affairs Commission, and Mayor Mike Kelly of Roeland Park.

“The message we’re trying to get out is acknowledging the past, accepting where we are in the present and instilling hope for everyone, especially people of color, for the future,” McKenzie said.

Attendees can look forward to musical performances from the KCK All-Star Marching Band and Drumline and Jo Blaq.

The event is meant to be a mixture of festive and educational.

“Black people call this day our freedom day. The fact is the Fourth of July didn’t actually signify freedom for black people. … Juneteenth is a celebration, and this event is our way of inviting the community of all races, of all denominations, of all demographics to join us in the same way we do for the Fourth of July,” McKenzie said. “The event last year ended with everyone line dancing and celebrating. …We need to get through the difficult stuff, but we also want to celebrate how far we’ve come.”

She expects between 200 and 300 people to attend.

Also on Saturday afternoon from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. is Prairie Village’s second annual Juneteenth Freedom Celebration at Harmon Park, 7727 Delmar St. Congresswoman Sharice Davids and Mayor Eric Mikkelson will speak there, and the live music will include a performance from The James Ward Band.

On June 19, the county will hold an official event at noon at Johnson County Square, located at Santa Fe Street and Cherry Street in downtown Olathe.

Virginia Sewing will discuss the history of redlining in Johnson County, and the Rev. Bobby Love from the Second Baptist Church of Olathe will give an invocation. Nathan Jackson will also read an original poem and Kim Warren, an associate professor at the University of Kansas, will speak about the history of Juneteenth.

Both this event and the Saturday march will feature performances of “Lift Every Voice and Sing.” The STEP Movement dance group will also perform.

Colin Duffy, senior management analyst at the Johnson County Manager’s office, said a large planning committee that included people from their diversity, equity and inclusion group weighed in on the elements included.

“With this being our first one, this is a relatively new holiday,” Duffy said, adding that they had to “look to what other communities do and try and right-size and find what works best for us.”

Attendees can park in the free garage at the corner of Chestnut and Loula streets.

All the Juneteenth events are family-friendly and welcome all ages. Duffy said about 100 people are expected. The county will provide free water, and Jada Bay’s Variety Food Truck will have food for purchase.

This story was originally published June 15, 2022 at 5:00 AM with the headline "JoCo Juneteenth celebrations offer opportunity to learn from past, change future."