CELEBRATE JUNETEENTH IN OBERLIN! Celebrating the United States Colored Troops &Their White Officers! Juneteenth or June 19, 1865, is considered the date when the last slaves in America were freed. Although the rumors of freedom were widespread prior to this, actual emancipation did not come in Texas until June 19, almost two and a half years after President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation, January 1, 1863. Juneteenth symbolizes the end of slavery and the beginning of freedom. While its roots are in Texas, Juneteenth has become a day to celebrate freedom all over the United States. Oberlin’s history of commitment to abolition and the cause of freedom make this community uniquely qualified to celebrate Juneteenth. Juneteenth 2005 Event Schedule Thursday, June 16, 2005 6:30 p.m. Tribute to the U.S.C.T. - Wright Park Approximately 180,000 African-Americans comprising 163 units served in the Union Army during the Civil war, both free African- Americans and runaway slaves joined the fight. Although black soldiers proved themselves as reputable soldiers, discrimination in pay and other areas remained widespread. In actual numbers, African American soldiers comprised 10% of the entire Union Army. Losses among African Americans were high, and from all reported casualties, approximately one-third of all African Americans enrolled in the military lost their lives during the Civil War. Juneteenth pays tribute to the U.S.C.T. and their white officers on Thursday, June 16, 2005, 6:30 p.m. at Wright Park in Oberlin. Visit our website to download an application form to include your U.S.C.T. ancestor in this Tribute. Friday, June 17, 2005 10:00 a.m. Tour of Westwood Cemetery guided by Margaret Christian One of the highlights of the Oberlin 2005 Juneteenth Celebration will be tours of Westwood Cemetery by Margaret Christian. Oberlin resident and 1974 graduate of Oberlin College. The Cemetery tours are “focused on educating the public of Oberlin’s African Americans unending sacrifices in the Civil War not only as part of the citizenry, but for their people and a country that did not consider them equal,” according to Christian. Tours will take place on Friday, June 17 at 10 am and 2 pm. Westwood Cemetery can be accessed from Morgan St. Describing the importance of the tours, Christian stated that “as an African American, these ancestors are the ‘keepers of time;’ each life a grain of sand in the hour glass of time.” Christian’s tours of Westwood will include visits to the gravesite of Chinque, daughter of Caroline and John Mercer Langston. With O.S.B. Wall, Langston recruited for the 54ths Mass, the unit portrayed by Hollywood in the movie, “Glory.” Oberlin’s Henry Patterson was promoted General Robert Gould Shaw of the 54th, who went down with his men at Fort Wagner. Other sties included in the tours include that of the Buffalo Soldiers, the 5th Calvary, and their commander, General Giles Waldo Shurtleff. 12:00 Noon Copeland Quilt Unveiling - The First Church A special ceremony will unveil a memorial quilt honoring the family of John A. Copeland, one of two African-American men from Oberlin who gave their lives for the cause of freedom by participating in the raid on the federal arsenal at Harper's Ferry, Virginia, with John Brown in 1859. Commissioned by Copeland descendant Brenda Pitts and created by quilter Marla Jackson of Lawrence, Kansas, the quilt commemorates the contributions of Copeland family members to the history of this country. The event will be held in the Fellowship Hall of The First Church, Friday, June 17, 12: 00 noon to 1:30 p.m. with a special unveiling ceremony to begin at 12:30 p.m. 2:00 p.m. Tour of Westwood Cemetery guided by Margaret Christian 4:30 p.m. Community Picnic - Spring Street Park, sponsored by Oberlin Race Relations Committee 6:30 p.m. Maafa Memorial Service - Westwood Cemetery, sponsored by Oberlin Black Alliance for Progress A service in memory of those who died as a result of the slave trade or slavery in the New World. (*Maafa is a Kiswahili term for “Disaster“or “Terrible Occurrence”) 8:00 p.m. Concert in the Park - E. T. King Band on Tappan Square Saturday, June 18, 2005 10:00 a.m. Ohio UGRR Historic Marker Dedication - NE Corner of Main & Lorain Sts., sponsored by Friends of the Oberlin Underground Railroad Center The goal of Ohio Underground Railroad Association is to erect markers throughout Ohio to educate about and commemorate the rich history of the Underground Railroad movement in Ohio. Located at a key junction on the Underground Railroad, Oberlin connected at least 5 routes that led from slavery to freedom. No fugitive in Oberlin was ever returned to bondage. The Friends of the Oberlin Underground Railroad Center sponsor the marker. The dedication ceremony will take place on Saturday, June 18, 2005 at 10:00 a.m. on the Northeast Corner of Main and Lorain Streets (across the street from Tappan Square) where the marker will stand. 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. JUNETEENTH FESITVAL ON TAPPAN SQUARE - Vendors, Music & Children’s Activities All Day on Tappan Square, Basketball Tournament, Music, Broom Jumping Ceremony, Free Bike Raffle, 5th U.S.C.T. Re-enactors! 12:00 Noon Juneteenth Parade - Down Home Riders 7:00 p.m. CP’s Bid Whist Party – Oberlin Inn, sponsored by Connie Ponder Relax and unwind with a good old fashioned game of bid whist. Bring your partner or hook-up on site. Come ready to fellowship, laugh and, of course, talk trash! Refreshments served, $5.00 donation. June 18-25 Family Warmth Quilt Show – Olla Mae’s Drygoods, 5 S. Main, Lower Level Juneteenth 2005 is sponsored by Oberlin Area Chamber of Commerce and The African American Fund of the Community Foundation of Greater Lorain County