When Monday’s rain washed out For Family By Family’s initial plans for Florence’s inaugural Juneteenth celebration, the community outreach and resource organization pivoted and demonstrated resilience in the spirit of the event.
Juneteenth, also known as Freedom Day, commemorates June 19,1865, when a group of enslaved Black people in Texas learned they were free. President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, but it wasn’t until two years later the news circulated nationwide.
For Family By Family’s original effort in conjunction with the City of Florence called for a morning proclamation ceremony at the former First Baptist Church of Florence site at 21 Girard St., followed by an afternoon and evening of music, cuisine offerings from varied cultural backgrounds, family activities and business / nonprofit resource stations at Stringtown Park.
City officials and For Family By Family conducted a ceremony at the City of Florence Government Center, highlighting the First Baptist Church of Florence, which was founded in 1870 by the Trustees of the Colored Baptist Association and maintained an active congregation for over 100 years. Additionally, the assembly included Dashai Thompson’s coronation as Miss Juneteenth for the City of Florence.
Florence City Councilman Mel Carroll delivered the Juneteenth proclamation on behalf of the city.
“The celebration of Juneteenth reminds each of us that the precious promises of freedom, equality, and opportunity, are at the core of the American dream,” Carroll said.
For Family By Family founder Sienna Thompson expounded on the celebration’s theme — Discovering your Roots — by detailing the establishment of First Baptist Church of Florence and focusing upon its varied community and cultural contributions.
“On Christmas Eve, 1871, the members of the Florence First Baptist Church held a service and celebration in their new meeting house,” Sienna Thompson said. “Near the end of the evening worship, several white men burst through the doors, disrupting the service. The trespassers, led by a man named Henry Snyder, were described as drunk and disorderly. They invaded the sanctuary and began to harass some of the women in attendance. Most of the church members had lived free for just a handful of years and knew the risks of confronting their white attackers, but the offenders were met with strong resistance.”
Sienna Thompson noted the church members were not intimidated by the violence and the church remained active for more than a century – serving as an anchor for Florence’s Black community. Pastor Herschel Glenn was the church’s final leader, Sienna Thompson indicated, adding he served from about 1957 until the church’s closing in the 1980s.
Northern Kentucky Branch NAACP President Jerome Bowles said the effort is about diversity, inclusion and appreciation for the history that has occurred here.
“The church has always been a safe haven and a place of peace, honor and recognition in the African-American community,” he said. “This has gone on for quite some time. I strongly encourage the community to continue to work together. I look forward to many more opportunities to embrace and enhance diversity in the city of Florence.”
Dashai Thompson said Miss Juneteenth is more than a crown.
“She serves as an advocate and educational resource that cultivates a robust platform that is community focused and culturally driven,” she said. “She amplifies the history of Juneteenth. The freedom is rooted in emancipation for the enslaved, so it involves both the celebration of joy the commemoration of pain. She is culturally driven, she’s a pivotal movement and a transformative figure. Miss Juneteenth represents the deep rooted meaning of African and Black/African-American women, families and communities. She understands this position is an honor connected to the holiday that marks our emancipation.”