By Sandra McKinney, for the CVPost
Saturday’s Juneteenth celebration in Carson Park felt very different.
While Juneteenth has been recognized for 21 years in Eau Claire, this was its first observance since the federal government gave it recognition as a national holiday. That step came on Thursday with President Joe Biden’s signature on legislation approved almost unanimously by Congress.
The recognition was a long time a’comin!
And it may have been one reason why this year’s celebration seemed to be different. It may also have been a larger crowd, (two local police officers estimated the crowd at 300-500, counting all who came and went over the three-hour event). Great music added to the scene and speakers representing local and state leadership shared the Juneteenth message in common time-honored tradition.
But what I saw and felt myself was people “hungry” for social interaction after over a year of COVID-19’s isolation. While we were asked to sign in by the Health Department, it seemed more something we would do to protect our neighbor, rather than being intrusive.
Masks were worn by a few, with no notice given. As one wearer explained, “I’m wearing this to protect my son who is too young for the vaccine.”
Many local organizations that address racial justice issues set up tables under the pines of Carson Park. I was working at the JONAH table and those who stopped to talk were genuinely interested in our work. We ran out of our Yearbook and sent for more.
When I had to leave at 4 p.m., very few had left and others were still coming, perhaps drawn by the music. But hopefully, they were drawn by the energy of community – creating a community that works for all.
An earlier account of Saturday’s Juneteenth celebration can be found here.
NOTES: Sandra McKinney is the president of JONAH and serves on the CVPost’s board as its treasurer.
The home page photo was taken by Andrew Werthmann and is used here by permission.