Celebration of freedom

Jo Ann Davenport looked around Tuesday at Woodson Park and smiled as the Juneteenth celebration was coming to a close.

“Today, you saw blacks, browns and whites sitting together,” Davenport, president of the Black Cultural Council of Odessa, said. “That was something that wouldn’t have happened in 1865.”

While Odessa’s commemorated Juneteenth with a five-day celebration, the actual holiday was Tuesday.

Juneteenth commemorates June 19, 1865, when Union Army Major Gen. Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston to announce the end of slavery. Odessans Bernice Smith said Tuesday she believes the day is about unifying multiple cultures.

“One of the greatest thing of Juneteenth is seeing all the cultures together,” she said. “This is partially what Juneteenth is about — seeing everybody together.”

Davenport said the final day brought a free barbecue, a magic show and a parade.

While Juneteenth is about recognizing the past, a rap forum was a chance for black students and athletes to talk about their future.

“In order to get respect, you have to give some respect,” Danny Wright, assistant Permian boys basketball coach, said during the forum. “You are being interviewed everyday — whether it’s a chance for a scholarship or just an interview for a job.”

In the end, Davenport said she believes everything the Black Cultural Council of Odessa wanted to do with Juneteenth was accomplished.

“There was no way anybody couldn’t have enjoyed the celebration,” she said. “We finished with a bang — 2007 Juneteenth was a big success.”