BRAVE Brings First Annual Juneteenth Event to BG

Ten days and a budget of zero dollars faced BRAVE organizers following the successful peaceful protest in May. Waiting at the end of that tunnel was a new tradition for Bowling Green—a celebration of Black history and culture, as well as remembrance of the official end of slavery in the United States.

Juneteenth, also known as Freedom Day, Jubilee Day, Liberation Day, and Emancipation Day, is a holiday recognized and celebrated by 47 states in the U.S, commemorating the arrival of union soldiers in Galveston, Texas, on June 19th, 1865. Juneteenth has not been declared a national holiday, despite a resolution being passed in the senate deeming it one in 2019.

Celebrations of Juneteenth are similar to those for the 4th of July, which only helps the comparison of the holiday as “Black Independence Day,” and it was with that importance to the Black community in mind that BRAVE members got to work with the limited resources at their disposal.

Drawing on the generosity and commitment of the Bowling Green community, BRAVE quickly found itself working with a real festival instead of the possibility of one. Personal connections yielded performers and food vendors, some of them Black-owned, while donations from mayor Mike Aspacher, a few city council members, realtor Sandy Rowland, College of Education & Human Development Dean at BGSU Dawn Shinew, and many others bolstered the growing event’s spending capital.

Support from larger entities in Bowling Green quickly followed. The Home Depot donated a stage, the First Presbyterian Church donated chairs and allowed Juneteenth performers from Voices at BGSU to rehearse in their sanctuary, Kroger donated trash bags, Beer Works donated ice, and Pisanello’s Pizza owner donated pizza.

At the conclusion of the ten-day countdown, BRAVE had its first successful Juneteenth celebration, held at Wooster Green in downtown BG. 200 attendees took place in the festivities, including the Mayor, Police Chief, and City Council Members.

Juneteenth has often been considered a day for educating, due to the inaccurate and incomplete ways Black history is addressed in classrooms across the country. Looking ahead, BRAVE is committed to making Juneteenth a family friendly holiday staple in the community, and is in the early stages of planning for the 2021 celebration.

With both time and funding on BRAVE’s side after a first meaningful success, future Juneteenth events promise to build and improve upon their predecessor, which will stand firmly as a much-needed and deserved celebration of Bowling Green’s Black community in the midst of an unprecedented summer.