Photos courtesy of Washington for Justice.

Tom Moore

Ture Morrow

The abolishment of slavery and a promotion of racial healing and unity was celebrated at the inaugural Juneteenth Freedom Day celebration in the city of Washington.

The event held Saturday in Central Park included children’s activities, food trucks, and live music by Coralville-based blues artist Kevin Burt. It also included speeches by one of the event’s organizers MUSIC, Inc. President Dan Henderson, local religious leader Pastor Nick Stoddard, African American Museum of Iowa founder member Tom Moore, and Ture Morrow of the Cedar Rapids-based organization We Are CR. Morrow shared some of his personal experiences with racism, and commented on how recent laws being passed across the country including Iowa are helping prevent holidays like Juneteenth being taught in schools, “Dr. Martin Luther King Day was made a national holiday in 1983 and Juneteenth was made a national holiday just this year, just days ago. That’s two days made into national holidays in my lifetime yet we still don’t want to talk about why these days are so important as well as how they are small symbolic victories while critical race theory is being banned.”

Washington City Council Member Danielle Pettit-Majewski also read a proclamation that was made by Mayor Jaron Rosien earlier in the week proclaiming June 19th as Juneteenth Freedom Day in Washington, and Washington High School student Mimi Diaz sang “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” which has been known as the Black national anthem. This community event was sponsored by MUSIC, Inc., Washington for Justice, Latinos for Washington, Washington State Bank, and Malott Law, PLC.