The local Emancipation Day Festival is tentatively set for June 12 at the Farms at Two Egg.
Planning is in the early stages and details will be shared by Emancipation Day Festival of Northwest Florida (EDF) founder and president Byron Dickens as they become available.
The event is in association with several May and June observations in Jackson County, which Dickens spearheaded beginning in 2019.
Jackson County Commissioners, for instance, voted unanimously at his request to proclaim May 20 as Emancipation Day in Jackson County and the Jackson County School Board members unanimously signed a resolution declaring May as Freedom Month each year in Jackson County schools.
Freedom Month supports the local observances of Armed Forces Day, Emancipation Day, and Memorial Day.
The Emancipation Day Festival celebrates what is known as “May Day” in Florida and “Juneteenth” in some states. This day commemorates the freedom of African-American slaves at the end of the Civil War and more than two years after President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation.
Dickens helped organize events last year that helped celebrate both those observations.
“Preserving this rich history is vital to our culture and understanding our pride as American citizens,” said Dickens in a press release during 2020, the first full year of Freedom Month observation in Jackson County.
Since its implementation, EDF has created four contests for both students and teachers in order to boost enthusiasm for and participation in the activities associated with the observation.
“In addition to Freedom Month, we hope to include a week-long celebration ending with the Festival as the main event,” Dickens said in a more recent email. “We hope to incorporate events such as a Miss Freedom Pageant, a Celebration of Freedom softball tournament, and a 5K Red, White, and Blue chalk run/walk. However, due to the COVID-19 precautions (the expansion) efforts will be postponed until further notice.”
Freedom Month contests were held in 2020. They included the Remember Our Fallen Memorial Day Art Contest, the Our Strangers, Our Heroes Armed Forces Day Poetry Contest, the Freedom to Me Emancipation Day Essay Contest and a Best Teacher Gift Card Giveaway. Contest winners were:
Winner awards include a 10-inch graphic tablet with stylus pen, watercolor painting kits, $50 gift cards, and poetry books. The Best Teacher award winner received a $100 gift card. There were no participants for the essay contest that year.
EDF has also created the Project S.A.V.E. program, with its inaugural-year elements being finalized now.
Dickens said he believes it will be the first-ever visual and performing arts summer/after school program in the Northwest Florida region.
“Utilizing African-American history, culture, and other global African influences as the inspirational model, we feel that this approach will foster a structure based on stronger community engagement and involvement. At the same time this will help develop our youth’s skills and build their interests.”
The mission of his organization, he said in a press release, is “to honor, educate, and preserve African-American history through a family-centered community engagement. Our intent is to allow the Festival to serve as a community builder for our citizens and provide additional economic opportunities for local small businesses.
It is our overall goal to preserve this rich history and help further unify the communities of Northwest Florida by understanding and honoring the freedoms of all Americans.”
Dickens has also funded a for-profit apparel and product line called 520 Forever Free and donates 20 percent of its proceeds to supporting the EDF activities like Project S.A.V.E.
Last week, Dickens surprised the Marianna High School varsity basketball team and staff with the donation of their own special-edition shirts dedicated to the team.
Dickens can be reached at Byron.dickens1@gmail.com.
The Emancipation Day Festival of Northwest Florida Inc. also has a website, www.emancipationdayfest.com.
