Written by Tanya Terry, with photos by Tanya Terry
The Traditional Flint Juneteenth Committee, led by Chairman DeWaun Robinson, organized an extensive month-long celebration centered on the theme “Education, Liberation and History.” The committee emphasized educating younger generations about the true meaning of Juneteenth and the sacrifices made by ancestors for freedom.
“We are a very set on providing education….” stated Robinson. “…And a lot of times our elders, our ancestors, they understand the true essence of what Juneteenth represents. And then now that it’s become nationally known, you have a lot of young people that’s involved and engaged, right? And we just really want them to understand what Juneteenth means and how our ancestors, the people before us, paid the ultimate sacrifice. And so that way they learn about much more than just the activities and the fun things, right? But the reason why we have been liberated…”
The celebration included 28 events throughout June, most of which were free and open to the community. Key events included a Saints and Spirituality program at Metropolitan Baptist Church on May 31 discussing the role of churches in the freedom movement; a Mott Foundation Centennial Family Fun Day at the Flint Cultural Center and fishing education for 139 students at a local lake.
A historical presentation took place on June 7 at the New McCree Theater about the 102nd United States Infantry Regiment Colored Troops (USCT) from Flint and their role in the Civil War. The presentation was facilitated by Historian John White with performances by the Jubilee Singers.
“The historical war stories are the crux of Juneteenth when you’re talking about the U.S. Colored troops that played a part in the Civil War,” said Robinson. “They are the reason why we are free. They fought the war. They fought the fight. They fought for freedom in this country. And for that day, what we do is give reverence to all the participants during that time, people that paid the sacrifice.
“A lot of the names that you may not know. A lot of people know about the liberators nowadays, but they don’t know too much about the 102 U.S. Colored Troops. And these were some prolific brothers. They were fighting in in Gettysburg. So, you talk about history. That’s real history. So, a lot of times people hear about America and its wars, but you don’t hear about the people who fought the war. And so, what we did is we had a phenomenal session of learning about the General Granger and people who were just in different roles and capacities that were able to be able to help move the city forward.”
A Legacy and Literacy event on June 9 featured local authors; a Reparations Workshop on June 11 involved the Justice League of Lansing featured discussing reparations efforts; a community market took place on June 12 at North Flint Food Market with over 20 vendors; a Harambee Breakfast was held on June 13 emphasizing community unity; and a Freedom School event held June 16 featured well over 100 youth with a keynote speakers and entertainment.
A financial literacy and business formation workshops was held on June 17. A Zoom event on public health had over 50 participants from across the country. A major celebration on June 20 honored Max Brandon, a significant historical figure in Flint, and also featured over 50 vendors, performances by Mama Sol and a parade with over 5,000 participants that lasted two hours!
A Father’s Day backyard barbecue took place on June 21. A healing circle on June 23 at Martin Luther King Peace Park featured yoga and spiritual healing led by Latrice Robinson and Dr. Tiffany Quinn. A get-out-to-vote rally on June 25 featured voter registration and candidate discussions. A “Black Lives Matter Special” on June 26 took attendees back to McCree Theater and featured presentations about numerous African countries. A scholarship dinner on June 27 honored the founder of the local celebration, Dr. E. Hill De Loney and supported young people’s education.
Lastly, a family reunion on June 28 closed out the celebration. Committee members Deirdre Flowers (marketing and media manager) and Zamaria Metcalf (assistant) highlighted the unity, positive energy and lack of violence at the events, emphasizing how the celebration brought the community together across different backgrounds.
“I always enjoy the Freedom Youth Dinner just because it’s for the kids,” said Flowers. “So, they put it on. We had a great turnout for all the kids in the community. They did a wonderful job. And of course, my next favorite is the parade. It was so many people out there and it was just good energy and at the turnout this year was amazing. Like all the people that were standing on the street. It gave such unity.”
“Our community gets a lot of pushback because when we crowd or when we meet with one another some violence that’s happened,” said Metcalf. “But with Juneteenth, we learn how to unite and love and educate one another. Sometimes certain people feel that you are speaking down to them if you’re trying to educate them. But inside of Juneteenth, they feel that they are being uplifted.”
Community participants like Linda Moore and others expressed appreciation for the cultural and historical significance of Juneteenth as a federal holiday and its role in promoting community bonds and education.
“It’s just wonderful to know that we’re participating like the whole United States is participating in this activity, that we were freed on this day,” said Moore. “It was very enlightening, and it gives a lot of hope for people.”
The committee’s vision is for the community to continue practicing the virtues of unity, education, and liberation throughout the year and to pass this legacy to younger generation.
