Story by Trudye Johnson
On Saturday, June 15th, the City of Lanett, and the Greater Valley Juneteenth Committee will celebrate 159th anniversary of Juneteenth on streets near the fountain at North Lanier Avenue and 1st Avenue, Lanett. The streets will be filled with great smells, tasty foods, live entertainment, children’s games, face painting, storytelling and athletic competitions in soccer, basketball and corn hole, crafts and food vendors, non-profit agencies, low rider cars, and a farmer’s market.
The festival opens at 10:00 am with greetings from the Mayors of Lanett, West Point and Lafayette. Corey Ross, BeeTV and his horse rider friends, will bring news of the Emancipation Proclamation like the news as it arrived in Galveston, Texas in 1865.
Juneteenth celebrates education, history, self-improvement, and equality for all people as ratified by the abolishment of slavery in the Thirteenth Amendment of the United States Constitution. This year the Juneteenth educational project honors the Lamp Bearers, 13 local residents ages 95 and above. These are distinguished individuals who have experienced nearly a century or more of national and community change. A picture display of the Lamp Bearers is in the lobby of the Lanett City Hall.
They Lamp Bearers are:
Alonza Ransom (99) Lula Mae Roberts (107)
Dorothy Allen (96) Clemmie Jones (101)
Elsie Johnson (99) Nancy Huguley (98)
Jo Frances Jackson (97) Maudie Taylor (96)
Mattie Davis (99) Minnie Murphy (99)
Godfrey Greenwood (96) Rose Devance (97)
Mary Sledge (107)
Food trucks on site include barbeque, creole, hot fish, smoked turkey legs, funnel cakes, roasted corn, dogs of all kind, soul food, bruh-ritas, hibachi and more. This year’s music genres include hip hop, country and western, electric Latin music, gospel, rap and rhythm and blues pumped by disc jockey “Ty Madden.” Performing artists include the Gwen James dancers, the Singing Disciples, poetry slammer Devonte,’ Chosen Generations, Brittney Avery, Amy Sandoval, Community Vision, Secret Dimension, Twilight, Infinity Dancers, and Mello Ooowee. This year’s emcee is the one and only church shouter, Bishop Winston Fannings.
At dusk, Juneteenth fireworks, provided by Boom City USA, will light up US Highway 29 across from the former Lanett Mill parking lots.
Local sponsors underwrite Juneteenth expenses so this event can be provided free to the public. The 2024 Juneteenth sponsors are the City of Lanett, Kenny Knox Tire Center, Chattahoochee Federal Credit Union, Pilgrim Baptist Church, Jai Marie Balloons, Pokey’s, Goodsell United Methodist Church, West Point Development Authority, Chambers County Development Authority, Capital City Bank, City of West Point, Corner Shaq, Johnny’s New York Style Pizza, Mt. Hermon Baptist Church, Boom City USA, KIA, Norman Sign Shop, Piquarius, 1 Vision, anonymous donations, Variededas El Quetzal, Trana’s Multiservices, LifeSouth Blood Mobile, and the Greater Valley Juneteenth Committee. For additional information about Juneteenth 2024, contact Trudye Johnson 706-957-9722 or Trent McCants at 705-518-6650.
