Juneteenth celebration to be held at Rupert Bell Park1;
SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE
The Fourth Annual June
teenth/Stone Soul Picnic will be
held on Saturday, June 15, at
Rupert Bell Park from noon until
6 p.m. Billed as a "Family Picnic
in the Park", the
Juneteenlh/Stone Soul Picnic
promises to have something for
everyone. Softball, basketball. '
horseshoe, and double-dutch
tournaments will begin 10 a.m.
for youths and adults. Bingo and
checkers tournaments will be
held in the Rupert Bell Recre
ation Center for senior citizens.
Also featured will be free kiddie
rides and amusements, food and
craft vendors.
All day entertainment on
main stage will feature the Ote
sha Ensemble, Boss Drummers,
Piney Grove Step Team, Janice
Price Dance Group, Samuel
Obie. Envision, Gospel Spirit
and much more.
Members of the planning
committee of the Fourth Annual
Juneteenth/Stone Sow Picnic
represent R&R Productions,
WQMG 97.1 FM Radio, Enter
com Communications. Winston
Salem Recreation & Parks
Department, Winston Lake Fam
ily YMCA, Winston-Salem
Urban League and East Winston
Community Development Corp..
Juneteenth the oldest
African-American holiday, is a
celebration of freedom. June
teenth, celebrated on June 19, is
the name given to Emancipation
Day by African-Americans in
Texas.
On that day in 1865 Union
Major General Gordon Granger
read General Order #3 to the peo
ple of Galveston. It stated, "The
people of Texas are informed
that, in accordance with a procla
mation from the Executive of the
United States, all slaves are free."
Large celebrations on June
19 began in 1866 and continued
regularly into the early 20th cen
tury.
The African-Americans treat
ed this day like the Fourth of
July. In the early days, the cele
bration included a prayer service,
speakers with inspirational mes
sages, reading of the Emancipa
tion Proclamation, games, food
and much more.
The Juneteenth celebration in
Winston-Salem was organized
by the Winston-Salem City
Wide Kwanzaa Committee in
1999. Made up of ftveral com
munity organizations and indi
viduals, the committee is dedi
cated to educating their commu
nity about African-American cel
ebrations and customs.
Members of the Ote
sha Creative Dance
Ensemble are sched*
uled to be among the
entertainment tor
this week's picnic. ..in
Caucus
from page A1
sensation Eve Cornelius. Avent
Hurst says this year's forum topics
are more relevant than ever.
"It is really an event unlike
any other," she said. "We have
something for everyone."
The Winston-Salem connec
0 tion will become apparent on the
second day of the conference.
During a banquet that day. Carl
Matthews, a city resident who
organized the state's first success
ful sit-in, will receive the Trail
blazer Award, the highest award
the Black Legislative Caucus
gives. In 1960, Matthews led sev
eral Wake Forest University and
Winston-Salem State University
students in sit-ins at several lunch
counters at Winston-Salem five
and dime stores. Although the sit
ins occurred after the one by the
Greensboro Four, the sit-in was
the first to end in the banning of
segregation at downtown lunch
counters in Winston-Salem.
"I suggested ... we honor Mr.
Matthews, and everyone thought
it was high time for him to receive
this honor." Womble said.
Ben Ruffin, another Forsyth
County resident, will serve as the
keynote speaker at the banquet.
Ruftin is the chairman of the Uni
versity of North Carolina Board of
Governors.'
As usual, several scholarships
will be handed out to teens during
the weekend. The educational
component draws lots of young
people from across the state. For
the past several years, the Win
ston-Salem branch of the NAACP
has taken a van-load of young
people to the conference. A come
dian and fashion show have been
added this year to pique the inter
est of the younger crowd. .
While the weekend promises
to be festive, it will also have an
undercurrent of sadness. Sen.
Luther Jordan, the chairman of the
Legislative Black Caucus, died
earlier this year. He will be for
mally honored during the event.
Legislators have also decided to
dedicate the entire conference in
memory of Jordan.
The Legislative Education &
Scholarship Weekend Conference
will be held June 21 and June 22
in Raleigh at the Sheraton Impel
ial Hotel and Conference Center.
Registration is available on tile.
The cost is $45 for one day di)d
$90 for both daxs. For more infor
mation, call (919) 829-7017.
File Photo
Carl Matthews, second from right, stands with other sit-in
participants at a recent ceremony in Winston-Salem.
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