By T. Scott Boatright
Lincoln Parish’s Juneteenth celebration is fully underway, with a pair of events being held Tuesday in Grambling.
Juneteenth commemorates the effective end of slavery in the United States. Juneteenth (short for “June 19th”) marks the day when federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas, in 1865 to take control of the state and ensure that all enslaved people were freed.
Grambling’s annual Juneteenth Bakeoff was held Tuesday at City Hall and will be followed by a “Tracing Our Past, Celebrating Our Future” program at noon.
Armenda Sims-Shaw was presented with a Juneteenth Bakeoff apron for winning that event with her peach cobbler that captured first place.
The “Tracing Our Past, Celebrating Our Future” program featured a genealogy program themed “Discover Your Roots, Honor Your Legacy” that included audience participation along with an hourlong Mix and Mingle session that featured a sampling of food dishes that were used to compete in the Juneteenth Bakeoff.
Ruston’s Juneteenth Celebration will be held on Saturday inside the Thomas Assembly Center on the Louisiana Tech campus that will showcase soulful gospel performances by Vashawn Mitchell and Marvin Sapp, with Pastor CeJay serving as guest MC.
The first-ever Juneteenth celebration in Ruston was held in 2021 at Railroad Park.
Stemming from a community collaboration effort of the Real Change in Ruston task force, it was a way to commemorate the emancipation of enslaved African Americans and celebrate the surrounding community.
Real Change in Ruston is a holistic approach to real community development with community partners working together to develop real change for those underserved and underrepresented in our area.
The event will also feature vendors selling various foods and wares as well as a performance by the Unity Choir, where singers come together to honor heritage, share in purpose, and uplift the community through song along with an Independent Artist Showcase.
Tickets for the Ruston celebration will cost $10 with children 5 years old and younger being admitted free of charge. Doors will open at 1:30 p.m. with performances and events beginning at 3 p.m.
This year is the first Ruston Juneteenth Celebration slated to be held indoors.
A little westward in Grambling, a citywide Bible Study will begin at 6 p.m. today at Christ Temple Baptist Church while a Health and Wellness Fair will be held from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday at City Hall.
Also on Thursday, Grambling State University’s Digital Library and Learning Commons invites students, faculty, staff and the broader community to attend Juneteenth at the Digital Library.
The event, featuring film, creativity and reflection celebrating freedom, heritage and culture, will begin at 11 a.m. with the presentation of “Juneteenth: Faith and Freedom” followed by a 2 p.m. screening of “Miss Juneteenth.”
GSU’s celebration will conclude from 5 to 7 p.m. with a program titled “Cultural Canvas: Painting with a Purpose” that will be limited to 50 participants.
Juneteenth itself — June 19 — will begin on Friday with a 45/45 Freedom Run starting at 8 a.m. on the GSU campus with a Car Show also revving up at 8 a.m. at the Grambling Christian Center.
A vendor marketplace will open at 9 a.m. on Main Street on June 19 with the annual event parade rolling down Main Street starting at 5 p.m., to be followed by a fish fry sale at 6 p.m., and line dancing beginning at 7 p.m.
Grand Marshals for the parade will be Melba Woodard, the oldest member of Grambling’s Woodward family; the Lincoln Preparatory School state championship boys basketball team; and representatives from Autism Awareness.
The day’s events will wrap up at dusk with a fireworks display at Memorial Park.
Grambling’s Juneteenth celebration will wrap up starting at 7 p.m. Saturday with the annual Juneteenth Gala on the GSU campus.
More information on Grambling’s Juneteenth Celebration can be found online at Grambling Juneteenth Heritage Festival.
