VALDOSTA — The young and old joined the Southside Library Boosters in a celebration of freedom Saturday as the 16th Annual Juneteenth Celebrations continued with a Family Day in the Park.

Beginning with a fun run/walk Saturday morning, the event brought families and individuals of the community out to Saunders Park to enjoy a full day of fellowship and inspiration toward reaching holistic freedom.

“Juneteenth is something that we really need to push, because it is the celebration of our ‘literal’ emancipation from slavery, and that’s something to thank God for, as a race, as a culture, as a people,” said Minister Vincent Brown, 20, who shared a message during the event. “I’m reminded of a trip to the zoo with mom when I was a little boy, and seeing the elephants stand on two feet, and sit back on a ball. I wondered ‘Why would an elephant, with all its power, that roamed free in Africa, stand there like that, and not try to get away?’ I found out it was because when they are babies, the trainers put weighted fetters around their ankles and chain them to a stake.”

Brown went on to illustrate the state of some Americans who often do not recognize the power of freedom within themselves.

“And when it’s older, the elephant has the power to yank away from the chains and stake, but it’s been engraved their minds, that there is only so far they can go,” Brown said. “And we are like those elephants — bound only in our minds to the stakes of poverty, of depression, of our history and past. But now is the time for us to break away from the stake ... Now is the time for us to ‘Get off the Chain.’ ”

Repeating the colloquial phrase, Brown incited cheers and response among the youth and adults as he concluded his message of social liberation.

In addition to the young speaker, a number of teens and children have taken part in this year’s celebrations, according to

Juneteenth Chairman Gerone Anderson, which has inspired the committee to already begin looking toward next year’s event.

“Of all the events this week, I was most impressed with our youth night — the kids really came out in droves and everyone on the program did a fantastic job,” said Anderson. “And today, our speaker, who is a young man, really topped it off. And so next year, we want to take it to a youth level and inspire them to become more involved, because they do have something to say.”

Serving since he was 13, as the youngest Juneteenth committee member, Kenneth Sirmans II, 18, looks to continue supporting the event over future years as he attends Valdosta State University.

“Working with Juneteenth — working with the older people these five years has definitely been an experience,” he said smiling. “It has been a learning experience though, because you’re able to learn from their knowledge, and they’re able to learn from you too, because you bring new ideas.”

Attending the celebration from Jasper, Fla., Mrs. Sarah Higginbotham, 76, hoped to take some ideas back to her home community.

“This is my second time here, and the outstanding thing to me is to see the young people getting so involved,” Mrs. Higginbotham said. “We have a Juneteenth celebration in Jasper, but many people didn’t know what it was, so I’ve worked to get people more involved with it in our city. That is one reason why it is so important that the young people and the elders celebrate this together, because if we never tell them, they won’t know — because it’s not in many history books.”

While celebrating emancipation, members of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., and members of the Ossipe Temple 65 were on site encouraging citizens to also celebrate their voting rights.

“Already this year we’ve had over 500 people register to vote, and we’ll be out in the community doing monthly drives,” said Irene Miller, AKA Inc., Valdosta chapter president, while standing alongside registration drive chairwoman Caroline Hagler.

Nobel George Brown Jr., of Ossipe Temple, said that he has been encouraged to see more young adults gearing up for November elections as the Ossipe organization continues to hit the streets and encourage voter registration.

A number of individuals and organizations and local community entities helped to support this week of celebration, and remaining proceeds will go to support various programs at the Southside Library.

“Right now at the library, we’re doing our summer reading program, and at the end, we’re hoping to give the children who have participated school supplies,” said Beverly Sanders, Southside Library director. “We also have the Octoberfest, Kwanzaa, and the African American Read In, and all this is supported by funds from this event and the Library Boosters.”

Continuing this year’s move toward a youth-centered focus, Juneteenth celebrations will resume for a final event Saturday with a live concert, featuring Pop and R&B; sensation Young Lloyd. The event will be held at the Lowndes County Civic Center. For more information, contact a member of the Southside Library Booster Club.