Lorain County Juneteenth celebrations a chance to learn and mourn

Juneteenth celebrations this weekend across Lorain County will showcase Black culture while also remembering the horrific treatment of African Americans through the centuries. Established as a federal holiday last year, Juneteenth will be observed across the United States on Sunday, June 19. It commemorates the end of slavery in the United States. Recognition by Congress, combined with racial justice marches following high-profile killings of Black people by police officers, has stirred interest in the holiday, said Elyria/Lorain YWCA Director Jeanine Donaldson. "There were a lot of African Americans who just weren't sure what it was before," she said. "A lot of young Black people started to think about what it means to be African American. It started a lot of reflection and soul-searching, and I think it made people want to be more involved." Oberlin's Juneteenth Celebration Festival will run 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, June 18, at the Oberlin Underground Railroad Center, 273 S. Main St. Its theme will revolve around the "second line," a New Orleans parade tradition that has its origins in West African dance circles. The "first line" is the main body of a parade, and the second line follows the band, dancing with parasols and handkerchiefs. Over the years, it has become a staple of Louisiana funeral processions. A more light-hearted parade will be held at noon, traveling from Spring Street Park down Groveland Street to Pleasant Street and ending at the Underground Railroad Center. There will be games, face painting, raffles, vendors and food trucks there throughout the day. A more solemn second line parade to honor the spirits of Black people will begin around 6 p.m., traveling down Morgan Street to Westwood Cemetery. The dirge with horns and dancing will undertake to "release the tormented spirits of those African Americans who are out at that cemetery, that no one comes to visit, that have been there for a long time," said Oberlin Juneteenth board member Adenike Sharpley. "We hope that wherever they are is better than when they were here on Earth," she said. At the cemetery, marchers will hold a Maafa ceremony to pray for the souls of slaves who escaped from plantations in Louisiana, Sharpley said. Research indicates there may be a direct line between a specific plantation near the sister city of Oberlin, Louisiana, with slaves traveling the Underground Railroad north to Ohio en route to freedom in Canada. The Maafa, or "Holocaust of Enslavement," ceremony will run from 6:30-7:30 p.m. and will include a tribute to Black soldiers who fought in the Civil War. The graves of those who are known will be cleaned and decorated with floral wreaths. Elyria is also looking to start its own annual Juneteenth tradition, with a celebration planned for 1-5 p.m. at Ely Square Park, 400 Broad St. Line-up for a commemorative march to Ely Square will begin at 12:30 p.m. at the corner of East Avenue and Depot Street, behind Fifth Third Bank. The starting point marks where one of Elyria's first Black neighborhoods stood, said Ethan West of the Black Legacy Project. "We would hope to usher in first and foremost the history of Juneteenth — understand what happened and what didn't, and what's happened since then," West said. The day will include speakers, entertainment, food trucks, vendors and kids' activities. There will also be a Little Miss and Mister Juneteenth pageant for boys and girls ages 4-8 and 9-12. It will be judged not on looks, but how much participants know about their family lineage. A memorial baseball game will be played at 6:30 p.m. at the Thomas Shores South Rec Center, 101 South Park Drive, Elyria. It will hearken back to the semi-pro Black baseball team called the Smart Set, which played from roughly 1910 to 1921, with a roster of World War I veterans and business people from Elyria. In Lorain, festivities will start at 11 a.m. Sunday, June 19, with a Juneteenth basketball tournament at Fulton Home Park, 3228 Fulton Road. The free three-on-three tournament is for ages 6-11. Sign up by calling Roz Charlton at (440) 285-5405. The 3rd Juneteenth Business Expo will run from 2 p.m. to sunset at General Johnnie Wilson Park on Plant Street. The crown jewel will be the Juneteenth Blues Fest from 2:30-6 p.m. at Lakeview Park, 1800 West Erie Ave. It will start with a first line parade led by Da Land Band, followed at 3 p.m. by remarks from Mayor Jack Bradley. At 3:15 p.m., there will be a reading of the Emancipation Proclamation by an Abraham Lincoln impersonator, and a Sojourner Truth impersonator will speak at 4:15 p.m. Entertainment throughout the day will include music by JSimms & Friends and Hubbs Groove, and a fashion show. There will also be a pound cake contest and plenty of food. Donaldson said the Blues Fest is a chance to bring people of different cultures together to learn about each other. "In order to move forward, we have to change the negative narrative that's out there," she said. "That narrative is that when there are large numbers of African Americans together, it's dangerous. That's not true. What we know is that when we come together, it's like a family reunion." Reporter Jason Hawk can be reached at (440) 329-7122 or news@lcnewspapers.com.