Updated at 6:00 p.m., Thursday, June 14, 2007
Three-day Juneteenth celebration starts tomorrow
By Alyssa S. Navares
Advertiser Staff
"I'm looking forward to the Hawaiian community getting a better understanding of how we can celebrate freedom in our diverse culture," said Alphonso Braggs of the Honolulu-Hawai'i National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. He expects 500 people to attend this 10th annual event.
The celebration kicks off with a 1970s-theme dance 8 p.m. tomorrow at the Hickam Air Force Base Tradewinds Club. All proceeds will go to a NAACP scholarship fund honoring Donnis Thompson, the first African American athletic director for the University of Hawai'i at Manoa.
A rally and health fair at Kapi'olani Park takes place Saturday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Non-profit organizations will provide information on topics ranging from hepatitis to job opportunities. Children may participate in storytellings as part of the event's Read Aloud Project.
Entertainers include jazz pianist David Swanson, and Bobby Thursby and the Night Train. The Trinity Missionary Baptist Church choir will also perform.
In honor of Father's Day, participants will attend various church services throughout the island and speak about the role of fathers in promoting healthy living.
Juneteenth, a nationwide tradition for 142 years, celebrates the Emancipation Proclamation, issued Jan. 1, 1863. The first Juneteenth event occurred six months later when word of freedom spread to Texas, where the last African American slaves were notified.
