The 2nd Annual City of Newport Juneteenth ‘Freedom Day’ Celebration will be a free family event taking place on Saturday at Burnadette Watkins Park in Newport.
Rain or shine, the event will be held from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. In case of inclement weather, the event will be moved to the Community Center. It is being coordinated by Daylin Garland of the Newport Code Department.
Mayor Tommy Guidugli Jr. will give opening remarks. Guest speakers include Jerome Bowles, president of the NKY NAACP, Dr. David Childs, director of Black Studies at Northern Kentucky University and Daylin Garland II, a senior Category Account Executive at P&G.
There will be a tribute performance by the NKY Brotherhood Singers and music by DJ Rob Doyle.
The program will include “The meaning of Juneteenth” by Daylin Garland II, remembering the 2024 Miss Juneteenth, Eloise Green Daniels, and honoring Second Baptist Church, including remarks by Paster Fred McMillian and a reading of the history of the church by Victoria ‘Vickie’ Washington.
The following awards will be presented:
• Newport Icon Award
Anna “AJ” Murphy
Presented by Donna “LJ” Murphy
Excellence in Education Award
• Rhoda “Ronnie” M. Ayers
Presented by Virinda Garland-Doddy
• Community Mother Award
Victoria “Vicki” Washington
Presented by Daylin Garland Sr.
• Black Legend of Newport Award
Robert “Bob” McCray
Presented by Donna Watts
After the program, the celebration will continue with activities for the children, food and family fun.
Sponsors of the Juneteenth Freedom Day Celebration are the Newport Foundation, Newport High School USC, NHS SkillsUSA, NSTEP & 21CCLC, Newport Optimist Club, East Row Historic Foundation, ReNewport, Ethose Labs, and CHNK.
Juneteenth, officially Juneteenth National Independence Day, is a federal holiday celebrating the ending of slavery in the United States. It was on June 19, 1865 when Major General Gordon Grainger ordered the final enforcement of the Emancipation Proclamation in Texas at the end of the Civil War.
Also called Jubilee Day, Freedom Day, Emancipation Day and Black Independence Day, early celebrations swept across the country in the form of church-centered community gatherings, food festivals and more.
The day was recognized as a federal holiday in 2021 when President Joe Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act into law.
