Juneteenth became a federally recognized holiday in 2021. The holiday is observed on June 19, and Juneteenth is an annual commemoration of the end of slavery in the United States after the Civil War. It has been celebrated by African Americans since the late 1800s. The celebration began early in Magee with the third annual Juneteenth Celebration hosted at Marvin Jackson Park in the Goodwater Community.
The event was organized by Terrence Logan and a Juneteenth committee. Logan and the committee have been able to grow the event each year and it has become well attended since its inception three years ago.
Logan said, “I first heard of Juneteenth years ago when I was in Hattiesburg and I saw a bunch of people in the park celebrating. I asked what was going on and somebody told me that it was Juneteenth.”
Logan said it was his first time hearing of Juneteenth and would go on to research the topic.
He said, “I had never heard of Juneteenth before not in school or anywhere, and I later found out the significance of the day. But it was nice to see people enjoying themselves and celebrating especially the people of color from the community.”
Following his first experience with Juneteenth, Logan said he knew an event like this was needed in Magee and he began planning. Logan said he could think of no better place to host the event than Marvin Jackson Park.
Logan said, “When I was younger, we would always hang out at the park. There were always softball games, basketball tournaments, everything. You could always find something to do at the park, and it was a safe environment and that’s what we want to bring back. We’re trying to change that narrative around our community.”
The event has evolved each year and has been a great opportunity to bring the elders and younger generations of the community together for family fun. It has also served as an opportunity for vendors to engage with the community and network with each other. The celebration started with a parade through the community that included representatives from several different organizations. Live gospel and blues music were played throughout the day for entertainment as everyone enjoyed the festivities.
Logan said, “This means a lot to everyone to be able to come out and celebrate. We want to thank our sponsors for making this happen. I also want to thank Mayor Dale Berry, Alderman Patrick Brown, and the Magee Police Department for helping this come together and making sure everything is secure and safe.”
When asked about next year Logan said, “We plan to grow even more and continue to come together and do something positive.”
