Residents of Jacksonville celebrated the Juneteenth holiday in Lincoln Park with food, speeches, music, games, activities and fellowship.

The event began with a parade of over 60 entries including cars, trucks, floats, ATVs, motorcycles and horses. Jacksonville Community Cares, which organized the event, awarded plaques to parade winners in several categories. Awards included:

– Best ATV – Scooter Baker

– Best Car – Earnest “Big Bird” Dennis

– Best Float – Katrina Choice

– Best Horse – Brayden Polk

– Best Motorcycle – Lynn Minifee

– Best Ryker – Tamica Whitaker

– Best Truck – Bert Anderson

At the park, several speakers addressed the crowd, providing historical context for the celebration, updates to the Lincoln Park renovations and improvements and information about the city’s involvement with the neighborhood.

Evelyn Guinn recounted the events that led to the Juneteenth celebration as well as some of the advances and setbacks for Black Americans since that time. She also noted that Juneteenth was first recognized as an official holiday in Texas, but wasn’t a nationally recognized holiday until 2021.

She said freedom must be actively defended or people can be enslaved again. She then encouraged everyone to exercise their right to vote.

Kenya Etim presented an update on what was yet to come to the Lincoln Park area. Additions expected to the park include a workout area, a splash pad, more tables and benches and all-ability play equipment. Phase 2 of the renovation plans include the development of a community garden. Phase 3 is to bring a community recreation center, which Etim said was hoped to be a YMCA.

District 1 Councilwoman Letitia Horace shared things the city had completed or was planning for the district and listed them by category.

New infrastructure included 10 new lights installed along Martin Luther King, the repaving of six streets and talks with the Texas Department of Transportation about reducing the speed limit on Hwy 135 and the addition of lighting and signage.

Code enforcement efforts mentioned were an educational campaign where information was sent out with water bills and demolition projects throughout the city, which included the Alberta school. Horace said the demolition would not only remove an eyesore, but should reduce illegal activity at the site.

She said community pride was strengthened through the Neighbors Helping Neighbors program, which resulted in improvements to five homes. She, too, mentioned the continued efforts to improve Lincoln Park.

Horace also said a daycare had been recruited to open in District 1, which would provide child care and job opportunities.

Margene Williams, a graduate of Fred Douglass High School, has attended the Juneteenth celebration since its beginning.

“It’s important for our children and for the town to know how important it is to us that they know our history, where we came from,” she said.

Williams said she’s seen the event grow bigger and better and enjoys the fellowship.

“It’s nice to get together for something important,” Williams said.