The Parsons Juneteenth celebration will run for four days this year, with events taking place in downtown Parsons and Glenwood Park. A Parsons native whose father was a principal of the former Douglass School, will be a featured speaker.
The SEK Juneteenth Foundation, founded by its CEO, Sontana Johnson, spoke to the Sun recently about the celebration.
The Parsons community began celebrating the event in a small way in 2005, but celebrations didn’t happen every year since then.
Juneteenth is the name of the traditional commemoration date of the emancipation of enslaved people in the United States. President Abraham Lincoln first issued the Emancipation Proclamation, declaring all slaves free in Confederate territory, on Sept. 22, 1862. He made a final declaration at the beginning of January 1863. But the news took time to travel. June 19, 1865, is the date when word of the proclamation reached enslaved African Americans in Galveston, Texas.
In Parsons, Juneteenth events start with a parade on Thursday, June 19, and end with a community church service on Sunday, Jan. 22, in Glenwood Park.
Johnson said Donald V. Watkins, who was born in Parsons, will be the speaker at this year’s Juneteenth event. He is a son of Levi Watkins Sr., former principal at Douglass School in Parsons. Douglass School opened in Parsons in 1908 and closed in 1958.
Dr. Watkins Sr. later served as president of Alabama State University.
One of Dr. Watkins’ other sons, Levi Watkins Jr., graduated from Vanderbilt School of Medicine. On Feb. 4, 1980, he and Dr. Vivien Thomas were the first to successfully implant an automatic defibrillator in a human patient at Johns Hopkins University.
Johnson said she and her foundation have received grants and donations to support Juneteenth, and, hopefully, future celebrations. The theme this year is “Break Every Chain,” she said.
“I just want to thank anybody and everybody who has helped so far. It’s truly been a blessing,” Johnson said.
She has small fundraisers throughout the year, including selling homemade salads. She hopes Juneteenth will continue to grow and could become another Black Homecoming
See JUNETEENTH, Page 5.
for the Parsons community.
She says she “can’t stop, won’t stop” advocating for unity in the Parsons community, including raising the heat in a room when she thinks it’s necessary, referring to a recent meeting with county commissioners.
She said she hopes people attending Juneteenth events will walk away feeling loved and knowing that they are part of something bigger.
“Juneteenth is big. It’s all colors, all races, and that’s what my focus is. I’m just trying to bring unity together. I’m trying to bring peace, love. It seems like our community has lost that.”
“I do appreciate everyone that has donated, everyone who participates, and I just want to continue to build unity in the community,” Johnson said.
The schedule’s highlights: Thursday, June 19: 10 a.m.: The parade starts at King Cash on Main Street and travels east to the Parsons Municipal Building. After the parade, Donald V. Watkins, the son of the former principal of Douglass School in Parsons, Levi Watkins, will speak in the auditorium. Other speakers and performances are scheduled.
7:30 p.m.: Music in the Park in Forest Park’s Seaton Family Pavilion will feature Tulsa-based artist, activist, dancer, singer and actress Branjae. She will deliver classic soul, funk and R&B to the Seaton Family Pavilion. Branjae’s energetic showcase encourages elevated consciousness by connecting with her audiences to create unity and harmony.
Friday, June 20: 10 a.m.: Donald Watkins will walk the Rotary Trail from near Appleton on Central passed the former location of Douglass School to the Parsons Arboretum. A Black history speaker, Deborah Davis, and Black artwork will be in the Earl Seifert Visitors Center, which was the former bathhouse of the pool designated for Black residents during the time of segregation.
Start at 5 p.m.: A community picnic will take place in Glenwood Park, and a DJ will play musical selections.
Saturday, June 21: Starting at 10 a.m.: A number of activities will take place in Glenwood Park. These include food trucks, inflatables, a 3 on 3 basketball competition, cornhole and the Viking Color Guard. Avi’s Lemonade will be available as well.
Sunday, June 22: 10 a.m.: Church in the Park in Glenwood Park. The flier released on the event says the service will be in Forest Park, but Johnson said it will be in Glenwood.
