HOPKINSVILLE, KY (CHRISTIAN COUNTY NOW) – The Juneteenth Celebration, hosted by The Divine Nine and Friends of Hopkinsville, brought the community together on June 21 to honor the Freedom Day of Black Americans from slavery. Hosted at the Boys & Girls Club of Hopkinsville, community members gathered for food, entertainment and fellowship in the June heat.
“We are celebrating the third year of this event with the power of resilience, education and unity,” Jewel Lynch, Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority member said. The event began with an introduction of Divine Nine members and a prayer led by Reverend C.E. Timberlake of First Street Baptist Church followed by singing of the Black National Anthem by Ivan Brown.
Local band Black Cat Cadillac provided live music throughout the duration of the event while community members shopped local vendors. Following the band, line-dancing, gospel singers, a fashion show and a kid’s corner with bouncy houses filled this summer day with fun for community members of all ages.
Juneteenth History in Hopkinsville
This holiday, celebrated nationally on June 19, celebrates the emancipation of enslaved Americans following the aftermath of the Civil War in 1865. The holiday was first celebrated in Texas and made its way to other parts of the country shortly after. In its third year, the Juneteenth Celebration in Hopkinsville began after community members expressed interest.
“We didn’t have the internet back then, so the word of freedom had to spread through the states, and that’s why Kentucky celebrates the eighth of August, because that’s when we learned we were free,” Bonnie Lynch, Juneteenth Committee member told Christian County Now.
The first 8th of August Celebration in Hopkinsville began five years ago, in conjunction with the Museums of Historic Hopkinsville-Christian County and the Human Rights Commission of Hopkinsville-Christian County.
Lynch says this event will continue annually.
| DON’T MISS A STORY: Click here to sign up for our free weekly email newsletter