ST PAUL, Minn. — The sounds of music filled the air as dozens of people gathered to celebrate Juneteenth in St. Paul's Rondo neighborhood on Monday.
“This is our third annual Juneteenth celebration," said Marvin Anderson, the Executive Director for the Rondo Center for Diverse Expression.
The long-time Rondo community member said each year the community not only celebrates but highlights an aspect of the Juneteenth holiday they feel is important.
This year, there’s a job fair with a very specific goal.
"Our job is to hire 20 people or to enroll people in St. Paul College to get an education to enter the workforce," he said.
And Monday marked the first year the community celebrated Juneteenth as an official state holiday in Minnesota.
"Like most holidays, people tend to enjoy the holiday, and they seem to lose the meaning of holidays,” he said.
"We are becoming a more divided country, and my dream is that we celebrate these things together," said historian Dr. Marvin Dunn.
Dr. Dunn traveled to Minnesota from Miami to be a keynote speaker at Monday's event and said this year’s celebration is a long-time coming.
"I was born in 1940, I’ve lived long enough to have sat on the back of the bus," he said. "I have an 83-year perspective of history and our country has changed so beautifully but not nearly enough."
The community taking time to honor those who came before while hoping for better days ahead.
"We want to make sure that we underscore those values the ex-slaves took upon themselves," said Anderson. "How can we in the present day celebrate their contributions.”
Senator Tina Smith, Mayor Melvin Carter and Governor Tim Walz also attended the event and talked about the significance of this being the first year the holiday is being commemorated in the state.
Organizer Marvin Anderson said he’s already planning for next year.
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