The Greenbrier County Juneteenth Steering Committee in partnership with the Greenbrier Historical Society is proud to announce the first annual, Juneteenth Celebration in Greenbrier County. The celebration will commence on Thursday, June 19 with a keynote address by Maurice Cooley at 6 p.m. in the Old Stone Room of Carnegie Hall, followed by a special guided tour of the “Echoes of Slavery” exhibit at the North House Museum with light refreshments served.
The celebration will continue on Saturday, June 21 from 12 noon to 5 p.m. with an exciting day of music, friendship, and fun at Dorie Miller Park on Feamster Road in Lewisburg. Everyone is welcome.
Yvonne Jones, Juneteenth Steering Committee Chair, said, “On June 19, 1865, federal troops, led by General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas, taking control of the state and ensuring that all enslaved people were freed. That day became an annual celebration and the name Juneteenth was created (shortened for June 19th). It is a day to be celebrated by all who recognize the importance of freedom. In conjunction with the Greenbrier Historical Society, we have planned an evening to highlight the historical significance of the day.”
Maurice Cooley, who will keynote the Jun. 19 program, is a native of Lewisburg and continues to proclaim the joys of his life and growing up in what he acknowledges as “definitively the coolest town in America.” Shortly after he attained his BA degree in Sociology from Marshall University in 1970, he was on active duty in the US Army from 1970 to 1973 as a Social Work-Psychology Specialist. Subsequently, Cooley received his graduate degree in the study of counseling theory and clinical psychology from Marshall in 1975. In 2003, following a long career as an outpatient psycho- therapist, he accepted an administrative and teaching position at Marshall University involving innovative program development concentrating on African American, Bi-racial, International, LGBT, and Pan-African students. He semi-retired from Marshall in July 2022 as V.P. and Dean of Intercultural and Student Affairs but has continued his work as a Distinguished Visiting Scholar focusing on the Society of Black Scholars, which he founded in 2003, and minority Ph.D. Biomedical Research Scholars
Janice Cooley, Juneteenth Steering Committee and member of the GHS Board of Directors, said, “Juneteenth recognizes both the pain of the past and the hope for a more just future. As we honor this day, we also lift up the stories of the Black community in Greenbrier County whose lives, labor, and legacies helped shape the region even in the face of injustice and exclusion,” said
The celebration will continue on Saturday, June 21, from 12 noon to 5 p.m. in Dorie Miller Park. The day will offer music, food and beverages, and information booths, as well as crafts and games for all. Health screenings will be provided by the Rainelle Medical Center. The musical entertainment includes DJ Lauryn Trill; The Resurrection Praise Community Choir; Rapper J-Mane; and local gospel singers
“Juneteenth is a time of celebration. It is also a time of reflection upon the stony road we have trodden. The festival provides an opportunity to fellowship with family, friends, and neighbors. Everyone is welcome to attend,” said Dallas Jones of the Juneteenth Steering Committee.
