Moses Lake Juneteenth tells story of freedom

MOSES LAKE - The second annual Juneteenth celebration honored both the heritage of Moses Lake's African-American community and the wisdom of the elders among them.

The event was held Saturday at the Moses Lake Museum and Art Center.

"You can judge a community by the way it treats its elders," Maryamu Eltayeb-Givens, of the Harambee Theater, said. "They've been through the struggle, and they know how hard it can be."

The "struggle" to which she referred was America's fight toward civil rights, beginning with the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation on Sept. 22, 1862. Juneteenth celebrates freedom be remembering the day the Proclamation took effect in Galveston, Texas when the order was read by Gen. Gordon Grange on June 19, 1865.

Moses Lake's Juneteenth celebration included musical performances and skits by the children of Eltayeb-Givens' theater program, as well as speeches by members of the community.

Mayor Bill J. Ecret opened the day's festivities by calling Juneteenth a signal of "a level of maturity long overdue in America."

"I'm looking forward to seeing Juneteenth take off in Moses Lake so we can share with the community what the journey toward equality is all about," Ecret said.

Following the mayor's speech, Charley Jones, chairman of the Moses Lake Martin Luther King, Jr. Committee, presented the Emancipation Proclamation to the audience.

Next, Ora Lee Hunter performed an original song entitled "Free at Last" to resounding applause.

The second musical number was not available, so emcee Miranda Bridges asked audience member Judy Robinson if she would sing. Robinson prefaced her performance of "Amazing Grace" by telling a little of her family history.

Her great-grandparents, she said, moved to Oregon from Arkansas, all the while hiding their ethnic identities behind their light skin.

"A Cherokee and a black man, who in this day would be proud of their heritage, moved to Oregon and called themselves 'white,'" Robinson said. She admitted that her mixed ancestry had been a struggle throughout her life, one which found some resolution when she moved to Moses Lake.

"The color of my skin may be different," Robinson said, "but if you ask me where I fit, it's here."

The celebration continued the theme of honoring elders with a speech from Eltayeb-Givens' mother, missionary Minnie Norwood.

Norwood spoke of the fight for better education, noting that, "We've got more people graduating high school, and that's good. We've got more people going to college, and that's good too."

The trouble, Norwood said, comes after college when the former students cannot find employment. To them, she offered a piece of advice.

"Always hold your head high. Things will be alright. Just keep on your journey."

Juneteenth moved on to performances from the children at the celebration, who were clad in colorful costumes to reflect their diverse heritage. Coached by Eltayeb-Givens, Kathy Gardner and their parents, the children presented a skit about Harriet Tubman, a shortened version of the play "Aida," and the interactive story of "Frogs and Snakes" for a lesson in tolerance.

The celebration concluded with the children, directed by Gardner, singing another version of "Free at Last."