Rotary Club of Front Royal elects new president

June 23, 2024

On Wednesday, June 19, from noon to 7 p.m., the first Warren County community commemoration of the “Juneteenth” anniversary of the legal abolition of slavery in the westernmost Confederate state of Texas on June 19, 1865, was held at the Village Commons Park and Pavilion in historic downtown Front Royal. We’ll leave it to the National Museum of African American History & Culture website to explain the impetus for Juneteenth Day:

The Gazebo was the meeting place for the introduction of special guests and the entertainment that accompanied the community’s first Juneteenth celebration. Hopefully together we can meet the challenge of “learning from the past for a better future.” Photos by Royal Examiner Roger Bianchini

“On Freedom’s Eve, the night before January 1, 1863, the first Watch Night services were held. That night, enslaved and free African Americans gathered in churches and private homes across the country, awaiting news that the Emancipation Proclamation had gone into effect. At midnight, the prayers were answered when all enslaved people in the Confederate States were declared legally free. Union soldiers, many of whom were black, marched on plantations and through towns across the South, reading small copies of the Emancipation Proclamation and spreading the message of freedom throughout the Confederate States…

“But not everyone in Confederate territory was immediately free. Although the Emancipation Proclamation went into effect in 1863, it could not be implemented in the areas still under Confederate control. As a result, enslaved people in the westernmost Confederate state of Texas did not become free until much later. Freedom finally came on June 19, 1865, when about 2,000 Union troops arrived in Galveston Bay, Texas. The Army announced that the more than 250,000 enslaved blacks in the state were free by decree. This day became known as ‘Juneteenth’ by the newly freed people of Texas…

“Juneteenth is our nation’s second Independence Day. Although it has long been celebrated in the African-American community, this monumental event is largely unknown to most Americans,” notes the National Museum of African American History & Culture.

Emancipation Day celebrations on June 19, 1900, at “East Woods” on E. 24th Street in Austin, Texas. And 124 years later, on June 19, 2024, in Front Royal, Virginia, the crowd retreated to the shade of the trees in the early to mid afternoon as temperatures dropped to the low 30s to low 40s. Public domain photo credit by National Museum of African American History & Culture from the Austin History Center

We reached out to people involved in the 2024 Juneteenth anniversary here to learn why it is an important date to commemorate. We were first alerted to a post by Kris Nelson, Chairman of the Warren County Democratic Committee, in which he outlined the importance of this date to our history, regardless of our race or ethnic background:

“It is not enough to just passively watch. We must actively engage with the history, struggles and ongoing fight for justice that this day represents for the Black community. We must educate ourselves, confront our privileges and amplify the voices of those who have been marginalized. Juneteenth requires our unity and commitment to building a world where freedom and equality are not just ideals, but a reality for all,” Nelson wrote.

“Your voice, your choice” matters whether you are a member of the local political committee led by Kris Nelson, his local counterpart, which we did not see in attendance, or a political independent who is neither. Below, interested readers can find the written voices of several Kilby women, including Betty Kilby Baldwin, who stands with her back to the camera, talking with Woodstock attendee Peggy Pye.

We reached out to local event co-organizer Gene Kilby to get perspective on how to bring this holiday into the local consciousness of all county citizens. “Slavery was one of the darkest times in the U.S. for African Americans. Our ancestors endured extreme brutality for over 250 years. Suetta Freeman and I, as co-chairs of the Warren/Page NAACP Revitalization Committee, realized that most counties surrounding Warren County and Front Royal were celebrating this glorious occasion. We wanted our community to also be aware of the significance of this great moment in history. We formed an events committee and met once a week for about two months to put together our first annual Juneteenth celebration. Education and communication create understanding. Together, our community can be better,” Kilby explained, looking ahead to a second Juneteenth celebration here in 2025.

Co-organizer Suetta Freeman, left at the microphone, opened Juneteenth 2024 in Front Royal with a series of introductions, including that of MC Rev. Olric Wilkins, under the blue shirt, who introduced Rev. Alfred Woods, who was to lead the opening prayer.

For an additional photographic look at the honorees, speakers and live entertainment at the first Juneteenth 2024 in Front Royal, Virginia, scroll down.

Above, Stephanie Banks was honored while her father, former City Councilman and Mayor George Banks, was honored. Below, Ashley Taylor was introduced to speak about the history of Juneteenth.

Pearl Jordan (left), over 100 years old, was escorted to the podium to thank local NAACP members who have done much for their community during sometimes difficult years.

Centarian-minus 2, Lillian Sloane continued these NAACP thanks, as did …

Betty Roberts and …

Charles Barbour.

Front Royal Mayor Lori Cockrell made Juneteenth Day an officially recognized community event.

The Spiritual Harmonizers of Northern Virginia kicked off the entertainment.

The stand of Mount Vernon Baptist Church

The Women’s Resource Center

And I was assured that “everyone is welcome” – even your humble reporter with his camera.

And later in the day, around 5 p.m., as the sun’s shadow extended to the pavilion’s stage area, Bobby G & The Heavies brought Northern Virginia’s finest rhythm & blues act to the stage and beyond, as Bobby G began to listen to the crowd with some R&B sermons, and eventually brought in some of his bandmates to play some guitars as well.