COMMUNITY R ooted in Our Legacy Reynoldsburg’s 3rd Annual Juneteenth

Juneteenth is an annual holiday commemorating the end of slavery in the United States Also referred to as Freedom Day, Jubilee Day and Emancipation Day

On June 19, 1865 the Union Soldiers led by Major Gen Gordon Granger, landed in Galveston, Texas to make an announcement two and half years after President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation of Jan 1, 1863 Essentially the soldiers proclaimed the executive orders that those who were enslaved were free

On June 17, 2021, President Joe Biden signed bill into law making Juneteenth a national holiday

Reynoldsburg is a suburb of Columbus, Ohio. It sits in Franklin, Fairfield and Licking counties Per the 2020 census it has a population of 38,016

Reynoldsburg, Ohio – On, Saturday, June 18, 2023 from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. the City of Reynoldsburg is hosting its Third Annual Juneteenth Celebration: Rooted in Our Legacy, at Huber Park, 1640 Davidson Drive. It is an admission free event. We are extremely excited to be partnering with the African American Male Wellness Agency who will provide health screenings as well as other area healthcare-related companies and agencies. Covid-19 vaccines and boosters will be available, too,” said Meredith Lawson-Rowe, Ward 4 Councilwoman. The event will include a 5K to benefit the Columbus Ice organization Registration details for the race may be found at www columbusice com

The outside celebration will feature vendors, food trucks, a host of sponsors, live music from 4 His Purpose Gospel Band and ColoBoration Poly Genre Band featuring Priscilla Woodson At 12 noon, there will be a short program hosted by Rodney Dunigan, Managing Editor and anchor of the weekend newscast on ABC6 and Fox 28 News.

The featured speaker for the celebration is Judge Laurel Beatty Blunt During the program we will award the Inaugural George J Stebout Juneteenth Legacy Award Named in honor of Mr Stebout, a

Veteran, buried in the Historical Seceder Cemetery, the award recipient will be honored for his or her contributions to our community in the areas of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Mr Stebout is included on the mural on Main Street and furthers the conversation that there were free Black people who lived and worked in Reynoldsburg before the Emancipation Proclamation. The Stebouts were the only African American family that lived within the village boundaries of 1860 Mr Stebout ran for Village Council in (or around) April of 1863. He obviously did not win the election, because he joined the army shortly thereafter

Ward 4 Councilwoman Meredith LawsonRowe shared, “What I find fascinating is that he is buried in Seceder Cemetery, the oldest historical cemetery in Reynoldsburg, this is historic because during that era of our history, it was unheard of to have Blacks and Whites buried in the same cemetery Learning this history makes me even more proud to call Reynoldsburg home. As we continue to strive be an inclusive community, we stand on the shoulders of those brave Seceders who settled here who regarded religious freedom and personal freedom to not be determined by one’s skin color.”