Crockett Marks Juneteenth Holiday
By Greg Ritchie
Messenger Reporter
CROCKETT – The 37th annual celebrations of the Juneteenth holiday were celebrated in style in Crockett Monday, June 19, with parade and festivities well-attended in spite of the heat.
Juneteenth celebrates June 19, 1865 when word finally came to the slaves in Texas that they were freed, several months after the end of the Civil War and over two years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation. The day has been a state holiday since 1979, but in 2021 it became a federal holiday across the country.
As the parade began to file into the Crockett square, some of the participants riding outside of vehicles already suffered from the over-100 degree heat index, but perked up as people cheered, candy was thrown and the parade got under way. There were students and all of the pageant contestants, along with several vehicles from Crockett-native-turned-car-dealer Mike Terry. There was a special car for the “Women of Wisdom,” who were older matriarchs honored for their contribution to the community.
The parade made its way slowly to Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard creating a traffic-jam seldom seen in Houston County as hundreds of people followed the parade to be part of the celebrations in the park. The festivities continued under the newly-renovated pavilion in I.T. Williams Memorial Park as Crockett Mayor Dr. Ianthia Fisher told the group how all those 37 years ago, she and some others decided to get the Juneteenth celebrations in Crockett organized and more recognized.
The celebrations featured spiritual songs and prayers, along with speeches and a $5,000 donation by Terry to the Groves Educational Foundation who organized the event. The event was considered by all to be one of the best-attended, with people not only in downtown Crockett, but on both sides of the parade route and packing the park to enjoy the local food and other activities.
The pageant contestants were on hand as well. This year’s winners were:
- Miss Juneteenth, A’Christa Price
- Runner-Up, Jamyia Houston
- Miss Congeniality, Kiva Knox
- Jr. Miss Juneteenth, Kiah Amons
- Runner-Up, Sharia Lockhart
- Miss Congeniality, Dystani Dancer
- Juneteenth Escort, Jayden Williams
The theme this year was “Better Together,” as the organizers thanked the many sponsors and community members who helped put the event together.
A celebration for kids was held later in the park hosted by entertainers Rhonda Ware, Tonya and Peanut Harris.
Greg Ritchie can be reached at [email protected]
