NAACP hosting Juneteenth celebration Saturday
LeMoyne Community Center in Washington will host the NAACP Washington Branch Juneteenth celebration Saturday.
A parade to the LeMoyne Center will kick off events at 10:30 a.m. at Friendship Baptist Church, 17 E. Walnut St. James “Cookie” McDonald will serve as grand marshal for the parade. The public is invited to participate in the walk to the center. Parade participants include representatives from various local groups, businesses, and civic organizations, with music provided by Washington High School and Trinity High School band members. The parade was inspired by former NAACP president Dr. Andrew Goudy.
A day full of live music, food, vendors, games, prizes and activities for the whole family will follow at the LeMoyne Center from 11:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.
NAACP President David T. Gatling said, “Juneteenth is important because Black people were still considered someone’s property in Texas when federal troops arrived to free them after the southern confederacy lost the Civil War. To this day, Black people are subject to racial injustice on a global scale and Juneteenth reminds us how Black people have progressed since the days of slavery and the strength we have within us.”
Activities at the LeMoyne Center will include live performances by Shailen Abram and Soul Raydio, the Washington Jazz Society, and the Ibeji Drum Ensemble, with DJ Davey Miller. The event will feature a 3-point shot basketball contest, caricature artist Jeff Harris, the magic of Ray Lucas, and face painting by Shaias Art. There will be at least four food trucks, a dozen vendors and games for children and adults.
The event will close with a gospel hour featuring performances by the Bridgeville Male Ensemble Gospel Choir, Mt. Olive Baptist Churches Mime Troupe Without Walls, and a mime performance by Truly Praise Ministry,
Dr. Geraldine Jones, chair of the LeMoyne Center’s board of directors, will host a story corner for young children, and historian Dr. Marlene Bransom will share insights into the local history of the Black experience in Western Pennsylvania during and after Black enslavement.
For more information, contact Juneteenth planning committee chair Helen Dates at helendates@gmail.com, call the NAACP at 724-222-7820 or visit naacpwashpa.org.