- December 20, 2024
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The Flagler Beach Djembe Drummers opened and closed the AACS Juneteenth celebration. Pictured: Sue Baker, Derm, Dalva Smith and Duck Daughtrey. Photo by Sierra Williams
AACS members who helped organize the Juneteenth celebration. Imani Kinshasa, the Cultural Committee chair, thanks everyone for their hard work and participation. Photo by Sierra WilliamsPhoto by Sierra Williams
Robin Banks with the Palm Coast Dance Crew performs at the Juneteenth celebration. Photo by Sierra Williams
Membership Committee Chair Mamie Godfrey with merchandise salespersons Claude Nick Larece and Michele Knox. Photo by Sierra Williams
Author Allaina Maria was a guest speaker at the celebration. Photo by Sierra Williams
Eboni Hollie and Arlanda Williams sold handmade sweets at the Juneteenth celebration. Photo by Sierra Williams
Thea Smith and Leona Fowlkes. Fowlkes and other AACS members like Smith have brought back the AACS' quilting and needlepoint craft group. Photo by Sierra Williams
Wanda and Craig Vatchelor had a table showing off Wanda Vatchelor's custom jewelry designs. Photo by Sierra Williams
Husband and wife Naseem and Naseema Maat own Nefertiti book store, which features a variety of African cultural items. Photo by Sierra Williams
Donna Gray-Banks reads off raffle tickets. Photo by Sierra Williams
The AACS Juneteenth celebration was a packed throughout the day. Photo by Sierra Williams
L.R. Corbett is a children's author. She designs travel-inspired children's stories that are also coloring books. Photo by Sierra Williams
Gloria Teel shows off her small business, Gglam, featuring both handmade and paparazzi brand jewelry. Photo by Sierra Williams
Amber Embers owns The Cosmic Hippie, a holistic wellness business, and the nonprofit, Cosmic Assembly of the Divine Spirit. Photo by Sierra Williams
The Palm Coast Dance Crew performs at the Juneteenth celebration. Photo by Sierra Williams
AACS members who helped organize the Juneteenth celebration. Photo by Sierra Williams
Dee Johnson shows off her jewelry designs from her business, Deej Designz. Photo by Sierra Williams
The Djembe Drummers and Naseema Maat, pictured in the orange dress. The Djembe Drummers are Sue Baker (front left), Derm (back left), Dalva Smith (back right) and Duck Daughtrey (front right). Photo by Sierra Williams
Palm Coast's African American Cultural Society spent June 15 celebrating the county's third annual Juneteenth holiday.
"Our goal was, as it always is, to have an affair that is fun, educational and really enjoyable for the community," said Imani Kinshasa, the AACS' Cultural Committee chair.
The Juneteenth holiday is on June 19. and celebrates the end of slavery in the United States. The AACS' planning for the holiday event begins in February, Kinshasa said. The theme for this year's celebration, held on Saturday, June 15, was "Our history: The Price of Freedom."
Kinshasa said she and the committee members worked with the community and sponsors to provide a bounce house outside for the children, food trucks, live music performances, line dances and several speakers who read poetry or spoke on the significance of Juneteenth.
The event also featured tables from local small business owners, celebrated the graduation of several high school seniors and even had a fashion show.
"We do a lot of other things during the year, but [the Juneteenth and Kwanza celebrations] are our major productions, if you will," she said.
Kinshasa said she felt the celebration was a success. The local mayors of Palm Coast Mayor, Flagler Beach, Bunnell and Beverly Beach were all invited to help open the celebration, she said, as was Sheriff Rick Staly.
Kinshasa said the committee even put together a booklet for everyone to take home that highlighted notable figures in the African American community, both historic and modern.
She said one of her favorite parts of the day was seeing the community join in the celebration, even spontaneously getting up and dancing along with several of the music performances throughout the day.
Seeing the success of the event felt good, she said.
"We did a good job," Kinshasa said. "We've accomplished what we wanted to do.
