CELEBRATE THE DAY — From left, DeLand City Commissioner Kevin Reid, DeLand City Mayor Chris Cloudman, event host and organizer Dr. Primrose Cameron, and Joe Hearn, of Joe Hearn Events, stand together as Mayor Cloudman presents an official city proclamation in celebration of the Juneteenth holiday. The fourth annual Juneteenth DeLand: Unity in the Community Celebration Festival was held at the Sanborn Center in DeLand June 15.
Sisters Build Network for Girls Inc. and Man Up Mentoring celebrate their fifth year as the host of Juneteenth DeLand. Since that time, Juneteenth has become a federal holiday.
Juneteenth’s historical facts are not new to DeLand, for it was recognized and hosted for many years by the local African American Museum of the Arts.
“Juneteenth is a holiday commemorating the emancipation of enslaved African Americans in the United States. It marks the day, June 19, 1865, when Union General Gordon Granger announced in Galveston, Texas, that all slaves were free, two years after the Emancipation Proclamation.” — online source
BEACON PHOTOS/MARSHA MCALUGHLIN
Juneteenth DeLand began as an idea that came to fruition by Dr. Primrose Cameron, founder of Sisters Build, and Sean King, founder of Man Up, during COVID, to bring the community together despite obvious racial and social divides throughout our communities.
The City of DeLand approved a partnership, which has grown into an annual event that brings together students and their families, vendors, entertainment and people from DeLand and neighboring counties. From the beginning and still true today is the support of Joe Hearn of Joe Hearn Events, who has joined hands with the organization to mentor students and build bridges toward unity.
The collaboration has expanded with Kimeca Caine of Kinks, Coils and Waves, and Waylan Niece of The Neighborhood Center of West Volusia, both unity builders.
This is a time when our mentees are able to shine. Sisters Build Network for Girls Inc. is a nonprofit organization, and Man Up Mentoring provides support and mentoring services to more than 60 students each year. The organization found it important for our students to learn more about the history of Juneteenth.
This year’s program had more than 50 vendors, a full program of entertainment and talent from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., with many students and student groups performing, in the Wayne G. Sanborn Activity Center.
Student and student groups who participated, just to name a few, are:
Lift Every Voice and Sing – Tavahny Gardner
Dancing Angels Praise – Dancers of Greater Union First Baptist Church
Destinee Griffin – A Change is Coming
DJ Henry – ABCs of Black History
Paisley Henry – ABC Affirmations
Boys and Girls Club Purposely Created – St. Annis
