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Community celebrates Juneteenth with folk tales and food

Ronnie Pepper dramatizes an African-Caribbean folk story during Juneteenth celebration at the Historic Depot in the Seventh Avenue District.

By Lightning Reports, Published: June 20, 2021

Around 25 people listened to Ronnie Pepper dramatize an African-Caribbean fable about Anansi and the Snake Saturday while others enjoyed pork barbecue, barbecued chicken and hot dog plates in the first Juneteenth celebration since the historic freedom from slavery remembrance became a national holiday.

Juneteenth became a national holiday Thursday when President Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act into law, marking the day in 1865 when federal troops reached Galveston, Texas, with the news that slaves were free.

Sponsored by Star Lite Chapter #510 Order of the Eastern Star, the event at Saturday farmers market in the Historic Seventh Avenue District was an occasion to celebrate the newly declared holiday and commit to civil rights gains still to be achieved.
"We can't get complacent just because we got the holiday," Pepper said after he wrapped up the story of Anansi, a clever spider who is the central character in West African-originated folk tales that reached the Caribbean through the slave trade. "We've still got to work with the voting."
 
Organizer Melinda Lowrance spent three days cooking barbecue and Marva Brown baked the pound cake that Star Lite volunteers served.