SOUTH BEND — South Bend rapper and Fremont Youth Foundation founder Blu Casey stepped on stage at the 27th annual Juneteenth celebration and rapped about freedom.
The freedom to be a leader, to feel safe in every neighborhood and to be proudly Black.
“I just want to be free. Free like a bird in the sky or a fish in the sea or the music in my head when I skip to the beat,” Casey said in his song. “I just want my freedom.”
Put on by the South Bend Chapter of the Indiana Black Expo, South Bend’s Juneteenth event at LaSalle Park was a reminder of where Black people in America have been and a celebration of where they are now, chapter President Latorya Greene said.
On Jan. 1, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation to abolish slavery in the 10 states that were then in rebellion against the United States. (The proclamation did not apply to states that practiced slavery but did not try to leave the Union: Delaware, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri and West Virginia. Slavery was not outlawed in those states until 1-2 years afterward.) But, due to its lack of enforcement, many slaves were unaware that they were now free. June 19, 1865, marks the day when federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas, to ensure all enslaved people were freed.
“Juneteenth is really one of those holidays that has onus for the Black community. We’ve been celebrating it since June 19, 1865,” Greene said. “To be able to still have that connection with our Black culture, our ancestors and those who were enslaved, we can never forget that.”
The event included food trucks and local barbecue as well as Black business vendors and performances by James Brown and Michael Jackson impersonators.
To kick off the celebration, Mayor James Mueller read a proclamation from the city of South Bend to acknowledge the holiday, the large part the Black community has played in the city and encouraged all residents to commemorate the historic event.
While Juneteenth has been celebrated in the city for nearly three decades, it became a federal holiday only in 2021. In his proclamation, Mueller said Juneteenth provides the opportunity for the sharing of African American heritage while promoting the achievement of future goals.
“President Lincoln can sign an executive order, an Emancipation Proclamation, but that doesn’t mean that it actually goes into effect just like that at a snap of a finger,” Mueller said. “The realization of freedom and the realization of the abolition of slavery is something for us all to celebrate as a country [and] as a city.”
As much as Juneteenth is about honoring the past, South Bend’s Indiana Black Expo chapter also likes to shed light on the future.
Student scholarship recipients
The Black Expo gave out three scholarships of $1,000 each to three local students from South Bend.
Indiana University South Bend nursing student Tamara Palmer was the first recipient of the South Bend chapter’s scholarship. When her father passed away, Palmer said, she turned her grief into motivation.
“I remember being in high school, and he told me the only way for you to get out of this situation is to get an education, and you do it with all your passion and all your might,” Palmer said. He told Palmer, “Don’t ever give up, and I never did.”
The second recipient was Nigh Hardrict, a political science and paralegal studies major at IUSB. Hardrict said the scholarship money will allow her to focus on her internship with the American Democracy Project this fall, in which she plans to educate young voters in local communities.
“It will help me financially, so I can increase my efforts as we approach this upcoming election,” Hardrict said. “It will allow me to use my education to educate.”
Zion Taylor, the last recipient, was unable to attend the Juneteenth celebration, but her mother, Jeanette Taylor, accepted the award on her behalf.
Her mother said Zion’s dedication to excellence led her to lead her community as a contestant in the 100 Black Men of America African American History Challenge in New York City. Zion will attend Indiana University in the fall to pursue a degree in informatics.
“As her mother, I could not be more proud of the faith, character, leadership and perseverance she has demonstrated through this journey,” Jeanette Taylor said. “This scholarship is a reflection of her hard work she invested and the bright future that she has ahead.”
Community Service Award
Retired South Bend police officer and Memorial Hospital trauma liaison Lynn Coleman was tasked with giving out the Community Service Award to a resident that has touched countless lives.
Ray Davis, civic leader and blues singer, was given the award for his dedication over more than 20 years to serving the Martin Luther King Jr. Planning Committee, where he has fostered connections, engagement and support.
“His compassion and commitment [to] uplifting others has made him an invaluable presence within the center and beyond,” Coleman said. “Today, we honor this young man for his years of service, his remarkable talents and his enduing dedication to [the] people and organizations of South Bend.”
Davis didn’t attend his family reunion in St. Louis, which would have caused him to miss the Juneteenth celebration, he said, because he wanted to attend the event here.
After years of celebrating Juneteenth with the city well before it was a national holiday, Davis said, he’s a diehard Juneteenth attendant and enjoys being a part of a community that represents it.
“I love so many people in this town,” Davis said. “Listen, you’re only as great as the people that raise you to be, and there’s so many people in this village that have made me a great product of this village.”
Bringing diverse groups together
Common Council President Canneth Lee wore his “one love” shirt to the event because, to him, Juneteenth is about bringing people together to celebrate something that represent more than just a holiday, he said.
“With so much division in our country, division in the city, it’s good that we can come together, [and] celebrate on a beautiful day [at] a historic place,” Lee said. “It’s sad that a lot of people don’t understand the concept of people that were enslaved [being] set free, and through all those trials that we’ve gone through as a people, we’ve been able to persevere and continue to grow.”
Myra Butts, who grew up in South Bend, said South Bend is different than when she was a young girl. With six Black city council members, Butts said, the older generation is working to leave a better South Bend for their grandkids and celebrating Juneteenth is a representation of that.
“What we have to do as a senior generation, the baby boomers, we have to motivate our younger people to become the activists and to be the ones getting out … and voting,” Butts said. “We need to remind people of where we come from and about our freedom and our ancestors.”
The event was one that brought people back home to South Bend to celebrate with loved ones, she said. Hugs were shared, prayers were said, the weather stayed at a calm 75 degrees, and Butts said the community couldn’t have asked for a better day.
Email South Bend Tribune business reporter Jessica Velez at jvelez@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Annual South Bend Juneteenth event celebrates freedom and community
Reporting by Jessica Velez, South Bend Tribune / South Bend Tribune
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Jessica Velez, South Bend Tribune | USA TODAY Network
