5th annual Juneteenth Celebration set

FINDLAY — Findlay's Black Heritage Library and Multicultural Center, in collaboration with New Legacy Group, is hosting a Juneteenth Freedom Celebration at 2 p.m. Saturday at the Black Heritage Library. The federal holiday recognizes the end of slavery in the United States, and the 5th annual event in Findlay is meant to foster connection and cultural awareness within the community. "With an event so significant as slavery, one would think you would want to mark and celebrate the end of that injustice," Interim Executive Director of the Black Heritage Library and Multicultural Center Jerome Gray said. "Slavery had such an impact on America, that you would want to celebrate and acknowledge the end of such a heinous condition that was perpetrated on Black Americans." The Juneteenth Freedom Celebration is a family-friendly event designed to foster community connections and engagement. A wide range of activities will be offered including outdoor games, bounce houses, face painting and storytime booths presented by local churches. Live entertainment will be provided throughout the night featuring spoken word artists, musicians, local artists, poets and DJs. Headlining the event is Hashtag Virgo, an indie soul jazz collective from Cleveland. The jazz group is set to take the stage at 5 p.m. and close out the evening. "They were assembled in 2016 when they got together and they've been playing throughout Ohio," Gray said. "They're all various ages and levels of experience." Food trucks will also be on site, offering a diverse selection of cuisine. The event is also part of The Findlay-Hancock County Community Foundation's Fun for All Series of free local activities. In the Black Heritage Library, visitors can learn all about Findlay's Black history as well as from more than 50 countries. A signature exhibit at the museum is "Black Wings," donated from the Smithsonian Institution that highlights the history of the Tuskegee Airmen. "We have art and artifacts from over 50 countries from around the world," Gray said. "We function as a lending library and a teaching organization in the area of diversity." New Legacy Group, LLC is partnering with the Black Heritage Library Multicultural Center in organizing the event. "Legacy is the group that handles our social media," Gray said. "They have a podcast that they do every Monday evening where they interview local people of interest and local artists to shine a light on what people are doing in Findlay." Gray said events like this promote conversations and respect among Findlay's population. "The celebration is intended as an opportunity for people to come together," Gray said. "It's designed to promote human interaction among residents of Findlay, and the desired intent is to promote conversation. That will hopefully lead to unity and harmony among people of different races, values, heritages and backgrounds." The event is still seeking volunteers to assist in cleanup, setup and activity stations. Sponsorships from local businesses and organizations are also encouraged.Sponsorships can include both monetary and nonmonetary donations such as supplies, food and raffle items. Sponsors can receive recognition through press releases, online promotions and signage. History Juneteenth, also known as Freedom Day or Emancipation Day, commemorates the end of slavery on June 19, 1865. The date was two and half years after the official Emancipation Proclamation, when Union General Gordon Granger announced that enslaved people in Texas were free. In 2021, President Joe Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day into law, declaring it an official holiday. "I think Juneteenth plays an important part, not just in the Black community, but in America as a whole," Gray said. The Findlay celebration was first held in 2020, with two events being held virtually. This series of events, however, is not the first time in Findlay's history where the community celebrated Juneteenth. Gray recalled a historical event from 1880, where 10,000 people came to Findlay for an emancipation celebration, honoring the end of slavery in 1865. "The colored people of Ohio and Indiana had a mass meeting to the number of 10,000 persons in Findlay, Ohio on the 22nd and celebrated the 17th anniversary of President Lincoln signing the Emancipation Proclamation," Gray said, referencing an article published in The New York Times on September 28, 1880. While they did not attend, Gen. Ulysses S. Grant and Sen. Roscoe Conkling responded to the event after the community of Findlay sent them invitations. "I will be able to keep fully sympathizing with the colored people in the United States and their efforts to become worthy citizens of the Republic that theoretically knows no difference of race, color or previous condition of its electors, and hoping that the day is not far distant when the word practically may be substituted for the word theoretically, I am very truly yours US Grant," reads Grant's response. Looking ahead, the Black Heritage and Multicultural Center will be hosting a Hispanic Heritage Celebration in September, with additional programs for children. For information on upcoming events, visit https://www.blackheritagecenter.org.