Bemidji Juneteenth Celebration Brings Community Members Together

More than 200 community members got together for a Juneteenth event at Diamond Point Park in Bemidji, where they got to eat, play games, and remember African American history.

Juneteenth has been a nationally recognized federal holiday since 2021, with June 19th being the date that commemorates the end of slavery in the United States.

“General Gordon [Granger] came to Galveston, Texas to let the slaves that were supposed to be freed, let them know that they were freed,” explained Project For Change board member Jeanine Wiley. “So this is our Independence Day as a collective.”

“It’s important because things need to be done in community,” said Project For Change board member Alicia Rufus. “The more people that organize to make changes, the more likely that a change is going to occur.”

And although there’s music and games and fun for everybody, there is a reason that people were gathered there on Thursday.

“It’s a symbolic coming together in order for us to have a good time,” said Rufus. “But really, it’s somber, because long after America was free from Europeans, we were still under enslavement. So some people got their freedom, but we did not, we weren’t free. And so it’s important for us to come together, not only to keep going and keep doing what our ancestors fought hard for, but to just remember.”

The event was put on by Project For Change with support by Peacemaker Resources, both of which are non-profit social justice groups.

“[We fight against] racism, sexism, classism, all of the isms, so that we can actually make some positive changes here in Bemidji and the community at large,” explained Rufus.

“We’re so thankful for the opportunity to have a day where we can celebrate, be off of work, and celebrate what we’ve been through and how far we’ve come,” added Wiley.

But still, many feel like their fight is just beginning.

“We are still going through a lot of the things that our forefathers and our ancestors fought for,” said Rufus. “And so it may seem as though we got our freedom, but that’s on paper. We have people of all races because that’s really what our ancestors wanted. We wanted to be seen as equal, not less than, not 3/5—equal. We are humans, you’re humans. We’re all just here on this earth trying to survive, just want to live our lives.”