state’s Juneteenth festival, a celebration of the final abolition of slavery at the end of Civil War — and of freedom in general.
The drum, in keeping with African tradition, meant it was time to gather as a village, remember ancestors, to sing and to pray.
“Dear God, help us to become part of the solution and not the problem,” prayed Charles Petty, the senior pastor at Ogden’s Second Baptist Church. “We thank you to be able to celebrate and appreciate this rich history of African Americans.”
Such prayers and festivals are “a chance to say, ‘I forgive you and you forgive me’” for the lingering scars from slavery and discrimination.