JLDC Approves Funding For Juneteenth Events
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The Jamestown Local Development Corp. approved a $5,100 grant funding request for the Juneteenth Festival in Jamestown.
Regina Brackman, D-Ward III, presented JLDC board members with a request from the Juneteenth Planning Committee for Downtown Programming grant funds in order to provide enough funding for the Juneteenth Committee to expand this year's Juneteenth Festival in downtown Jamestown.
"We've been doing the Jamestown Juneteenth for at least 22 or 23 years, and this is just a great opportunity to just expand Jamestown Juneteenth and not just bottleneck it down at the Jackson-Taylor Park, get the city involved and let them experience the celebration with us," Brackman said.
Brackman said the Juneteenth Festival will feature a soul funk and rhythm and blues band from Erie, Pennsylvania, called "The Breeze" at the Wintergarden Plaza on Friday June 16. According to Brackman, the Juneteenth Planning Committee is currently planning to keep the Friday night event in the Wintergarden Plaza area without closing down any downtown roads.
"It should be a great opportunity just to get people downtown Jamestown and come out enjoy the music," she said.
For Saturday's special downtown event, Brackman said the Juneteenth Festival is hosting Marsha McWilson, who is a nationally known entertainer from Niagara Falls. Brackman told the JLDC board that she performed at last year's Juneteenth Festival, and that the Juneteenth Planning Committee is hoping to "showcase" her at the Spire Theater this year.
"Just another evening out in celebration of Juneteenth, just cultural diversity as far as the entertainment that has come into the city of Jamestown and downtown Jamestown, just to give people exposure to Juneteenth," Brackman said.
Brackman said the Juneteenth Planning Committee's efforts to host the annual Juneteenth Festival helps raise money for a scholarship award for a "deserving African American student" that can be used for to help with the cost of college or trade school.
"In this situation, all the money that we make will either be from our concessions or some of the events we do so," she said. "This is just a good way for us to one, communicate our vision and to help us reach our goal as far as awards and scholarship."
According to Brackman, the Juneteenth Planning Committee was able to award three $1,000 scholarships last year, marking a significant increase from prior years. In previous years, Brackman said the committee was "doing good" if it was able to award a $200 or $300 scholarship to one individual.
"There's growth that's going on within the Jamestown Juneteenth planning and the festival, and we just really want to keep growing, keep exposing people to our efforts, what the festival stands for, the whole purpose of Juneteenth and the fact that now it's a national holiday," she said.
Brackman explained that the Juneteenth Festival is a way to "pay homage" to the national holiday, while honoring not only the African American community, but all Americans through the recognition of Juneteenth's historical importance.
"That was when the communication came out, as far as they were free, they were no longer enslaved, and the celebrations that took place in Galveston, Texas, and now that take place all over the country as far as celebrating Juneteenth," she said.
Toward the conclusion of her presentation, Brackman told JLDC board members that the reason she was presenting a funding application request on behalf of the Juneteenth Planning Committee was that the committee viewed the Downtown Programming application as an "opportunity" to provide funding that would allow the Juneteenth Festival to feature compelling entertainers at this year's events.
Asked if there would be any charge for individuals to go to the music venues, Brackman said there will be no charge for the Friday music event at the Wintergarden Plaza; however, the Juneteenth Planning Committee is considering a $5 entry fee for the Spire Theater event with Marsha McWilson.
In the past, Brackman explained that the Juneteenth Festival has held a variety of different events on Friday night to "open and kickoff" the Juneteenth celebrations. For example, last year, the Juneteenth Festival hosted a movie in conjunction with the National Comedy Center.
"It was just really trying to get back to that," she said, "have a full weekend, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, and just kick it off with some spunk."
The Jamestown Local Development Corporation board unanimously approved the $5,100 application request for the Juneteenth downtown events.