President of the Juneteenth Committee speaks on the importance of holiday

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. (KBSI) – “Today we’re fighting for freedom injustice in in ways in 2024 so to have this event, honor and bring to the forefront the recognition of the meaning of the celebration were able to refocus today where we are and push forward.”

This is RT McCain the President of the Poplar Bluff Juneteenth Celebration Commitee which consists of six board members. RT McCain explains what Juneteenth means as a whole and how they celebrate as a community.

“Juneteenth is a recognition of the long and hard-fought battle of freedom,” said McCain.

McCain explains what it was like growing up from an educational perspective.

“It takes me back to when I was a kid in junior high school, and every time we’re in history class and the chapters came up around black history,” said McCain. “I’m not gonna lie. I kinda you know lower myself and my seat a little bit because I knew it was coming. I knew it was gonna be slaves. I was gonna see like pictures of cotton. I was gonna see figures that didn’t empower me and make me feel like maybe proud and able to conquer the world.”

McCain goes in depth of what Juneteenth can do for the future generation of youth going forward.

“So one thing that Juneteenth does that I’m excited about for the youth. Is it paints those pictures? It allows us and gives us an excuse to celebrate those heroes that are missed in our history things like black Wall Street things like you know, Phyllis, Whitley, and Elijah McCoy, and all these characters that I never knew about in history that I actually had to do my own research on and kinda do my own journey.”

McCain shares how one day can stand out and make a difference throughout the entire year.

“With things that we can do as a community to work better together not just on June 19 but throughout the whole year throughout our 12 months of the year so I love this time of the year we’re able to refocus and look at our history and look at was most important what our ancestors fought for us and we’re able to come up with a game plan to carry the torch.”