Southwest Oklahoma celebrates Juneteenth

LAWTON, Okla. (KSWO) – Folks throughout the nation celebrated Juneteenth, commemorating the emancipation of African-Individuals, on Saturday.

Lawton hosted a metropolis huge occasion on the Patterson Group Heart, whereas Duncan hosted their celebration in Douglass Park.

Jubilee Day, Emancipation, Freedom Day, and Black Independence Day — all synonyms for Juneteenth.

It’s the day African-Individuals in Texas lastly realized of their freedom on June nineteenth, 1865.

“Juneteenth is a celebrated day,” mentioned Larry Culberson. “It means freedom, not only for black folks, however for all races.”

“Juneteenth means to me a possibility to the residents of this metropolis, southwest Oklahoma and all of Oklahoma to come back collectively,” mentioned Bishop John Dunaway.

Culberson has been working a Juneteenth celebration in Duncan since 2014.

“I need this to get larger and greater and develop,” Culberson mentioned. “I need to have the ability to have extra church teams, extra singers. It’s not only for the rappers who do arduous rap. We wish to do gospel, we wish to do Spanish. I don’t care what nationality you might be, we wish you right here to have enjoyable. I wish to see a smile in your face. All within the identify of freedom.”

Bishop Dunaway mentioned there’s a key theme that brings Lawton’s Juneteenth occasion collectively.

“The objective of this occasion is to advertise fellowship, comradery to present our residents an opportunity to come back collectively,” Dunaway mentioned. “Additionally an opportunity to teach our metropolis and people who are visiting us from elsewhere about Juneteenth, about our historical past as a folks and as a nation,” mentioned Dunaway.

Each celebrations have been crowded and every individual in attendance realized one thing new.

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