June 23, 2023
BY JOHN BAILEY
Together we rise.
Be thankful for diversity.
Celebrate emancipation.
Empower the future.
Strive for peace and love.
Nobody is free until everybody is free.
These were the words on signs and minds of those who gathered at the Juneteenth March and Celebration last Saturday, June 17, in downtown Newton.
The Catawba County United Way participated and helped sponsor this annual event to commemorate the end of slavery in the United States after the Civil War.
The group marched from the Old Courthouse in downtown Newton to the Central Recreation Center.
It was an amazing moment of community, and it was a reminder of the importance of empowering all voices in our country, to be heard, to be understood and to be accepted.
Beverly Danner, event organizer, City of Newton Council member and Catawba County United Way Board member, said these are important moments for every community to have.
“We gather here not only to commemorate the past but also to celebrate the present and the future we continue to shape,” Danner said. “Juneteenth is a time for reflection, a time for rejoicing and a time for progress. It is a day to honor the struggles and sacrifices of our ancestors while reaffirming our commitment to creating a more just, inclusive and equitable society.”
Keynote speaker, Terry Phillips the the Director of Multicultural Affairs at Lenoir-Rhyne University, reminded everyone to make sure the invisible no longer remain invisible.
“For all those people who have been overlooked, it is time for all of us to come into the room and be represented,” he said. “Each of us can promote and advocate for one another. Ask how do we keep ourselves in a space where we are recognized. How do we move ourselves into a space where we are heard.”
Thank you to everyone who helped and participated with this event.
Learn more about Juneteenth at - THIS LINK.
More Photos at - https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=647257144101992&set=pcb.647257687435271