ALUMNI NEWS
Dawson Leads Commemoration of Juneteenth in Greensboro, NC
T he Greensboro Public Library Director working in conjunc- tion with other City of Greens- boro, North Carolina admin- istrators were seeking ways to highlight African American achievement after recent political events, protests, and movements led by area residents and leaders. Rodney Dawson (Burlington (NC) AL 2018) as Curator of Education for the Greensboro History Museum (GHM) was asked to develop program- ming to illustrate and commemorate “Juneteenth.” Dawson served as the face of GHM programming for the day’s events. The GHM created multiple pro- gramming initiatives to include “Project Democracy” featuring fellow member of Kappa Alpha Psi, Justice Henry Frye and his wife Shirley Frye. In addition to said programming, Dawson produced and narrated five programs. Programs include an educational video entitled “Juneteenth History & Traditions which garnered 4.2K views. Juneteenth Cook- ing Segment with local eatery Dame’s Chicken and Waffles which garnered 5.7K views. Juneteenth Divine Nine We- binar which garnered 1.4K views. Divine Nine Webinar featured fellow member of Kappa Alpha Psi and Greensboro Alumni Chapter Polemarch, Jonathan E. Shannon (Greensboro (NC) AL 1995). Juneteenth and Its Greensboro Ties with the History & Political Science Dept. Chair for N. C. A&T State University Dr. Arwin Smallwood which garnered 876 views, and Juneteenth Virtual Bingo featuring prominent African American people, places, and events which gar- nered 500 views. Virtual Bingo high- lighted fellow Kappa Alpha Psi members Justice Henry Frye, Mel Swann Jr., and Civil Rights Attorney J. Kenneth Lee. (Link for Virtual Bingo is not available). The total day’s events reached over 20K
Rodney Dawson, said.
It would take however more than two years for word of the Emancipation Proclamation to reach the enslaved in Texas. "The people are saying that the mes- sengers they sent were killed. I've heard that the plantation owners got the word but didn't want to pass it on because they want to retain that labor," Dawson said. "And then I also heard that Union forces made a deal with some of these plantation owners and said hey we will let you reap one more harvest." On June 19, 1865, Union General Gordon Granger announced from a bal- cony in Galveston Texas, that the Civil war had ended and the nearly quarter- million enslaved were now free. Again, this was two years after the Proclama- tion. Rodney Dawson said there weren't enough Union soldiers in Texas before Granger's arrival to enforce the order. Following Granger's announcement, many of the enslaved left the state to be with the rest of their families taking a dangerous walk to get there. Dawson referred to that as a faith walk and likened it to what we are see- ing today with people protesting against racial injustice. "You see the marches. You see the movement that's galvanizing not just African-Americans but people of all demographics. We are taking that faith walk [together] and that's what June- teenth means," Dawson said. Dawson said he hopes people will take the day to learn that many African Americans still don't feel free. "I hope people are educated. I hope it brings tolerance. I hope it inspires someone," Dawson said.
views with events produced and nar- rated by Mr. Dawson comprising 12.5K views. The online events attracted much needed attention to the Juneteenth tenets, as well as emphasized African American education and achievement. It has resulted in further outreach efforts taken on by GHM to illustrate African American contributions to include an upcoming exhibit featuring protest art formally displayed on boarded windows of downtown area businesses. The Juneteenth programming was featured on area news mediums particularly print and television news outlets to include the Greensboro flagship station WFMY News 2. The day started with the reading of a resolution declaring Juneteenth in the city. The resolution states the city wants to celebrate "African American heritage, history, freedom, and culture with events and ceremonies which reflect the power of community, family, art, and tradition in the face of oppression." To understand the history behind the day we have to go back to January 1, 1863. That was when Abraham Lincon declared that "all persons held as slaves shall be free" with the Emancipation Proclamation. "We were still in the midst of a Civil War. The legal president at the time says slavery has ended. And so it depended on whoever won that war. If the Union forces win the war, they can enforce it,"
82 | SUMMER-FALL 2020 ♦ THE JOURNAL
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