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City of Southfield maintenance crew members D’Angelo Givhan, left, and Wendell Golson, right, raise the Juneteenth flag on the Southfield Municipal campus.
Photo by Liz Carnegie
SOUTHFIELD — The city of Southfield kicked off its series of Juneteenth celebrations by raising the Juneteenth flag and taking a community walk on June 13.
Southfield residents and city officials gathered in the circle drive of the Southfield Municipal Campus, located at 26000 Evergreen Road, for the event. This is the fifth year the city has organized a flag-raising and walk.
City Councilwoman Yolanda Haynes said the great thing about having many events for Juneteenth is that it allows the community to celebrate a culture that is present in the city and educate people on the struggles, freedoms and rights of the African American community.
“This is a second Independence Day,” she said. “We have our freedoms because of those who sacrificed for us in the past. We’re here to celebrate and educate.”
The community walk was approximately 2.5 miles. The route took attendees from the municipal campus down Civic Center Drive, to Town Square, to Knob Woods Drive and to the Southfield Reformed Presbyterian Church, located at 26550 Evergreen Road, also called the Covenanter Church. While there, attendees learned more about Southfield’s history related to the Underground Railroad and Black history.
Marisa Youngblood, an attendee of the event, said Juneteenth is a celebration of freedom.
“Let’s empower Black voices and create a world where everyone feels valued and respected,” she said.
Rhonda Reynolds-Williams, president of the Pi Tau Omega chapter of the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority, attended the event with other sorority members.
“Juneteenth is such an important event in the lives of African Americans because that is truly when we gained our freedoms,” she said. “We feel that it’s important to celebrate and acknowledge that every year, and attending this walk and standing in solidarity is one way to do that.”
More details about Southfield’s Juneteenth events can be found on the city’s website at cityofsouthfield.com.
Juneteenth is celebrated annually on June 19 to commemorate the end of slavery in the United States.
