EYE ON SAN ANGELO
As the afternoon heat began to let up on Thursday, Juneteenth celebrations began over at Martin Luther King Jr. Park.
Food truck crews were busy getting ready for the dinner rush, as attendees began arriving.
The playground areas filled up quickly with kids and parents, while adult groups played other kinds of games.
Taking a brief walking tour of the park, the Concho Observer was welcomed by all of the groups, and we visited with each of them for a few minutes, and to ask about their feelings on this special day,
Everyone we talked to said they had indeed been enjoying their holiday, and they planned to continue enjoying it right through the weekend.
A few talked about the history of the day, and expressed their pride in celebrating black history, including one gentleman who talked about how long it took for the slaves in Texas to find out they had been freed, and what it must have felt like to hear that news.
Learn more about Juneteenth history in Texas and San Angelo here.
Several said the day is important to them for family and community reasons, and one lady said she wished the celebrations were as big as the ones she remembered from her childhood.
While most of the revelers in the park said they had the whole day off, a few said they had to go to work, and all agreed it should be a day off. Everyone also said they are glad it’s a federal holiday now.
I asked each group if there was anything they wanted white folks to know, and several pondered the question a bit.
Generally speaking, they allowed that there was definitely room to improve relationships and communication between all the different neighborhoods and groups in town, and they also don’t really feel like white Americans understand the true importance of this observance for the black community. Especially in Texas, because Juneteenth is a Texas thing.
Get Outside of Your Comfort Zone
I’m not one of those people who wish everyone in the world was exactly like me. I think it’s great that there are so many different kinds of people, and I enjoy meeting them.
This comes in handy as a reporter.
Over the years, I’ve had occasion to attend the festivals and religious observances of many different groups, and almost without exception, I have always been warmly welcomed by them.
It’s good for us to go outside of our little bubbles, and leave our comfort zones, in order to get to know some new people, and visit with them about life, the universe and everything else.
It sounds simple, but really, it’s big medicine for a lot of what ails this country right now.
When we attend the festivals of our friends and neighbors, we honor them, and it’s a blessing to us both.
A couple of people I visited with in the park said something like “we’re all too busy these days,” talking about how we don’t seem to have enough time to just get together and enjoy one another’s company. I feel like that’s true.
We should probably do something about that.
The Party Continues
The Juneteenth block party will take place today from 6-8 p.m. with fun tournaments, and “delicious food and music that’ll keep you dancing all night.”
There will also be a giant water-gun event.
On Saturday morning, participants will be lining up at the park for the parade around 8 a.m. and the event begins at 9 a.m.
There will be a Step Team performance at 10 a.m., and then guest speakers will deliver remarks beginning at 11 a.m.
The 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament also begins at 11 a.m. at the Northside Boys & Girls Club, 1802 N. Lillie St.
A community meal is planned for noon.
