Jonesboro community comes together to celebrate Juneteenth

JONESBORO, Ark. (KAIT) - Dozens of people came together in Jonesboro for the 2nd annual Juneteenth celebration.

Over 30 booths took over the Parker Park Community Center.

Several community booths were also set up to provide information about mental health awareness, Medicare, insurance and also to help people register to vote.

But, the day symbolized something much more, a celebration to the end of slavery.

“It is part of our history and our culture,” community liaison for the event Qubilah Jones said. “It’s a part of American history. We know slavery is one of those times that no one wants to take about, but it happened. This is a celebration of the ending of that and it’s something we can all join in and be a part of. We need to make sure to keep this alive and especially for the black community. It’s a matter of knowing where you come from, knowing what our ancestors endured to get to where we are so that we can enjoy the privileges that we have today.”

Several speakers addressed the crowd, including Jonesboro Mayor Harold Perrin, who gave an official proclamation declaring the third Saturday in June “Juneteenth."

The theme of this year’s event was “fulfilling the dreams of our ancestors.”

Jones said she hopes those who came out left feeling empowered.

“That they can achieve whatever their dreams are,” Jones said. “I want us to continue to fulfill those dreams in our jobs, in our homes, in our families. I would love to see the celebration continue to grow. I would love to see the youth aspect of the celebration to continue to grow as well. It’s not just for the black community. This is for the city of Jonesboro as a whole."

Jones said she looks forward to any even larger celebration next year.

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