The Shadow
A little over 100 people turned out to celebrate Juneteenth at Booker T. Washington Park, Clifton Forge, last Wednesday, with the 2024 theme, “Peace, Love, Togetherness.” The event, sponsored by Clifton Forge Main Street, Inc., included a Juneteenth history, guest speakers,
children’s activities, food, drinks, and music.
Renee Jones, served as the Mistress of Ceremony. She gave the welcome before introducing a very slimmed down version of the Resurrecting Praise Community Choir. The choir led the audience in singing the Black National Anthem, “Lift Every Voice” before having to leave to go sing at the funeral of one of their own members. DJ C Milli of Roanoke also provided continuous music throughout the day.
LaShonda Hunter-Ochieng, Clifton Forge Juneteenth Committee co-chair, gave a history of Juneteenth, to include when it was first celebrated in the town, under the mayorship of Rev. Pamela Marshall, and a description of the Juneteenth flag.
On behalf of CFMS, Jenny Oeltjen, president, also welcomed and thanked the guests for attending.
Rev. Ed. Mansfield, Former Clifton Forge Town Councilman, led the two Keynote Speakers by telling the story of Opal Lee’s journey in her quests to have Juneteenth recognized as a federal holiday and a history and description of the Juneteenth flag. With all the divisions in Alleghany County and the country, Mansfield believes, “we can only reach peace, love, and togetherness with a renewed sense of community and putting our trust in a power greater than we are.”
With voting rights under attack, he implored the audience not to put their trust in anybody but God. “We cannot have peace without love and understanding. We cannot have love without peace and respect. And, we cannot have understanding and togetherness without love,” offered Mansfield in closing.
“We are one of the top five branches in the state of Virginia,” began Dr. Brenda Hale, president of the Roanoke Branch of the NAACP for the past 23 years. She described herself as being “a product of the military, a registered nurse, and an activist all of her life.” Now 78, Hale encouraged the group to look back to the first slaves landing in Virginia and described the conditions of their journey. “Their arrival is seen as the beginning of the history of slavery in Virginia and a starting point for African American history,” said Hale.
She explained that while President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, known as Jubilee Day, slaves weren’t free until 1865. “Reflecting back, we realized that Lincoln signed the proclamation but were they really free,” asked Hale? “Lincoln started the ball rolling but the 13 th Amendment is what made African Americans free,” answered Hale. “We’ve come a mighty, mighty, mighty long way but folks we’re not finished yet. We got a long way to go,” said Hale. She closed her remarks by asking the audience “to develop this mind-set: the audacity to hope. We can hope for a better day. And the reason we can hope for a better day is because we have the power in our hands to make it a better day,” added Hale as she
encouraged people “to go to the polls by the droves.”
Lamona West, Committee co-chair, closed the speaking part of the program by thanking the committee, community, speakers, choir, CFMS, and the town for providing resources to make the event a success and for agreeing to fly the flag at town hall for the remainder of the month of June.
She also recognized committee members: Hunter-Oeching, Jones, Dominique Washington, Beth Raps, Mott Atherholt, Susan Hutchinson, Isreal Washington, and Shantia Sterling; Donors: anonymous, as well as Bartley’s Meat Market, Bear Mountain Signs, CFMS, Love.dee Creations, Jack Mason’s Tavern & Brewery, Washington’s Woodsmoked, First Baptist and Main Street Baptist churches, Highlands Bank, and Boy Scout 2.
Vendors in attendance were: TLC Sweets and Eats, Alleghany Highlands Healthy Youth Coalition, Lovely Sweetin LLC, Bottoms Up Bartending, Humble Crafts and Creations, Younique Designz, IKandy Krafts, Mar Jimenez, Sage For the Soul, and Williams’ Bike Rentals and Repair.
In closing, West encouraged the audience to visit some of the other month-long Juneteenth events happening in the town: a display of African American authors at the Clifton Forge Public Library; AA railroad workers highlighted at the C & O Railway Heritage Center; quilts on the culture of the Underground Railroad at the Alleghany Highlands Arts and Craft Center; and artwork and artists featured from the Renaissance Period at the Clifton Forge School of the Arts.
