Joyous Juneteenth celebration carries on despite rain

More than 160 years ago, President Abraham Lincoln signed and read the Emancipation Proclamation, freeing slaves in the United States. Two years later, June 19, 1865, slaves still existed in Texas despite the previous emancipation in 1863 received the news of emancipation. However, it wasn't until a few years ago that day was declared Juneteenth Freedom Day by the United States government.

Rio Rancho had its own Juneteenth celebration June 22 at Haynes Park. Though the rain sprinkled the event, it remained a joyous occasion and some even welcomed the cooldown after a smoldering week.

"We keep trying to get the weather right for this event, but we're not going to complain about the rain because we need it," Mayor Gregg Hull said.

He added that it was a blessing to see everyone show up to the event.

"We are so happy to host you and have this event here where we celebrate a day of freedom and a freedom that was hard fought for, a freedom that was long overdue and a freedom that we still fight for to this very day," Hull said.

Hull presented a proclamation to Rev. Dr. Johnny McChriston as well.

Juneteenth

After the Pledge of Allegiance was lead by the young Kaliyah Sullivan and Isaiah Barkley's singing of "Lift Every Voice and Sing," Rio Rancho's District 5 City Councilwoman Karissa Culbreath addressed the audience.

"I'll take a little bit of cloud cover and a little bit of rain over the 90 degrees that it's been earlier. So I think we can stand a little rain, right? We're not going to melt outside, right?" Culbreath joked.

She went on to say the turnout was "amazing."

"The theme for this program is from freedom to freedom, and I want us to consider this as we're listening to the program, the founding words of the documents that found and root this country. It says this: 'We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights that among those are and the pursuit of happiness.' From freedom to freedom recognizes that while not everybody always experienced freedom in this country, we are able to get to a place of a more perfect union. That with soldiers fighting together — Black and white, men and women — fighting together for the freedom of their neighbors, the freedom of their friends, the freedom of others that did not have freedom, is how we got to this point today. It's important for us to remember that the history of Black people in this country may have started with slavery, but that does not mean that they were always slaves, that freedom isn't inalienable right and that in this country, even when they were bound, they still had freedom in their hearts, because you can't take away. That is inside of me, a right that I believe inside my heart," she said.

She added that just means she has to fight a little bit harder.

"As you're experiencing this program today, realize that we have these inalienable rights the right to life to liberty and the pursuit of happiness," she ended.

The rest of the day was filled with entertainment focused on the expression of culture: an African drum presentation by master drummer Sorbia Fofana, a dance by the Cameroonians in New Mexico, the singing of "Swing Low Sweet Chariot" by Diana Bethany of New Covenant Worship Center and much more.

Throughout the day, a raffle for prizes was held to benefit health care vendors at the park. Kids could get a bubbly break in foam attraction, and attendees had many vendors to visit.

The event ended with the poem authored by Amanda Gorman, "The Hill We Climb," read by Kristin Mackey, and closing remarks by Culbreath.