Caravan commemorates 160th Juneteenth celebration

People from across Lorain County and beyond commemorated Juneteenth on Thursday by driving in a caravan through Lorain, Oberlin and Elyria. It was the fourth annual Lorain County Juneteenth Caravan, honoring the day on June 19, 1865, that soldiers of the Union Army arrived in Galveston Bay, Texas and delivered the news of emancipation to the enslaved people of Texas, the last place where slaves had survived at the closing of the Civil War. Thursday was the 160th celebration of Juneteenth, a portmanteau of "June" and "Nineteenth" which is also referred to as Jubilee Day and Freedom Day. Participants in the caravan gathered at Greater Victory Christian Ministries in Lorain and were led by a police escort from Lorain police. At the city limits they were met by members of the Lorain County Sheriff's Office who took over the escort and were joined by Oberlin and Elyria police as they passed through those respective cities. The lead car of the caravan waved the flag of the Elyria Black Legacy Connection and carried the organization's founder, Ethan West. West delivered short addresses to the crowd both before it stepped off in Lorain and in Ely Square, where participants gathered to close the event. "This is a special Juneteenth because it marks the 160th anniversary of the event," West said. "It's a powerful thing that this country had to go through, and us black citizens made it out of it." West said that in addition to the milestone, this Juneteenth was especially important to him personally because it was his first time meeting his cousin, Albert West. He said he and Albert had found each other while doing online ancestry research, and Albert had travelled up from Orlando for the Juneteenth Caravan and to meet in person for the first time. "This is also a special occasion for all of us as a country to come together and really celebrate something monumental for the country," West said. "... Nobody's free if one (person is oppressed and that is what this date's about. The country coming together, the family coming together." Heather Campbell, Elyria community partnership events and engagement coordinator, said it was an honor to help put on the Juneteenth caravan event, which is an important part in bringing the community together. "This whole celebration embodies so many things. Our mission is to revitalize downtown Elyria, and to make spaces comfortable," she said. "Juneteenth and collaborating with the different organizations to put this together, brings everybody together and increases the vibrancy downtown." Jeffrey Currie, who is a part of the classic car club in Elyria, said it was their third year taking part in the caravan, but they chose not to bring out their classic cars due to possible rain. "It was a great event just to see all of the communities, Elyria, Lorain and Oberlin come together and do one big thing together," he said. "Hopefully we'll be doing it again next year, and the next year." West asked Metro Central NAACP President Ardelia "Dee" Tolbert to share a few thoughts about her experience growing up in Elyria. "It's just wonderful to see all you young people participating and doing what you need to do," Tolbert said. "Now is the time to do what you need to do, because this is a difficult time. So thank you for allowing me to say a few words and God bless you." West thanked Lorain County Sheriff Jack Hall, his deputies and members of the Oberlin, Lorain and Elyria police departments for providing a police escort for the caravan. "We really appreciate you guys for making all this happen," West said. "You guys are coming out in Lorain County for black folks. That's something new on this side of town, but this is how we get it done." Hall told the crowd that he was honored that his office was asked to support and take part in the Juneteenth commemoration and that he was asked to speak at its conclusion. "If we look at every national holiday, which today is, every single holiday is based on a sacrifice...," Hall said. "We have come a long way from not only the sacrifice, but moving toward hope and also moving toward progress that we've made over the last several years… One of the things we want to make sure that we do on Juneteenth is ensure that we have unity and community all throughout Lorain County." Elyria will celebrate Juneteenth again this Saturday, beginning with a parade stepping off at 11:15 a.m. from the Elyria Athletic Complex and travelling north to Ely Square, where a Juneteenth celebration will run from noon to 5 p.m. The celebration will be capped off with the Black Legacy Connection's Smart Set softball game at West Park Recreation Field, 1200 Foster Ave. to honor the Smart Set baseball team, an all-Black, semi-pro team which was founded in Elyria in the early 1900s. Contact Gabrielle Monk at gmonk@chroniclet.com. Contact Owen MacMillan at (440) 329-7123 or omacmillan@chroniclet.com.