iversity
Parade and festival draw big crowds
Taylor’s Juneteenth Citywide Freedom Day Celebration has continued to grow each year and showcases the inclusivity of the community, according to organizers.
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“I think it’s a testament to everyone being able to come together in the name of inclusion.”
— Nakevia Miller Mayor Jim Buzan, who attended the parade and brunch Saturday morning, reflected on the connections formed when people grow up in the same city with shared experiences.
Members of the National Association of Buffalo Soldiers and Troopers Motorcycle Club – Killeen Chapter skipped the parade in their host city to participate in Taylor’s event. They include T-Bone (clockwise, from left), Probie1, Game Changer, Pearlicious, Probie3 and Probie2.
“A lot of people here either I went to school with or I went to school with family members. It’s a very close-knit community,” Buzan said.
Participation in the parade and festival, held June 20, increases each year and continues to attract regional interest, planners said.
This year the event included a horse-mounted group from Elgin and a motorcycle club based in Killeen in addition to local groups.
Nakevia Miller, executive director of the Dickey Museum & Multipurpose Center, presented three awards to parade recipients:
• Best Driving Group: 290 Boyz Riding Club (gaited- horse club from Elgin)
• Best Walker: Taylor’s own Queen Lola
• Best Overall: Taylor Youth Duck Nation Cheerleaders “I think it’s a testament to everyone being able to come together in the name of inclusion,” Miller said.
The grand marshal was 99-year-old former teacher Lessie Givens.
She taught Taylor students for 36 years, starting at the all-Black school, O.L. Price, before campuses were desegregated.
A biker known as T-Bone, vice president and road captain of the National Association of Buffalo Soldiers and Troopers Motorcycle Club – Killeen Chapter, said it was a Buffalo Soldiers unit that brought word to Galveston on June 19, 1865, that slavery was ended in Texas.
That event led to the celebration known as Juneteenth, which became a Texas holiday in 1980 and was named a federal holiday by President Joe Biden in 2021.
T-Bone and seven other riders skipped the Killeen parade to celebrate with Taylor.
He said the club president, known as Saddler, lives in Taylor.
“It’s important to celebrate
historic events. I’m glad that the events are getting bigger. I’d like to see a lot more participation. It’s great that everybody is coming out to get involved in it,” T-Bone said.
Taylor’s Juneteenth event is sponsored in part by the city.
Miller said the celebration “takes a village” to coordinate and would not be possible without the support of the Parks and Recreation Department employees who help with logistics, administration, underwriting and setting up.
“We are so grateful that we have a city staff that’s committed to helping support Black cultural preservation, helping us to feel included and seen in our community,” Miller said.
In addition to the parade and brunch event Saturday morning, Taylor celebrated Juneteenth with a Saturday evening festival featuring vendors, activities, gospel music, a live band and an educational African Safari Program with Elizabeth Kahura sponsored by the Texas Commission on the Arts.
A photography exhibit highlighting the history of Black rodeos was also part of the Juneteenth programming. The free exhibit, titled “Soul Circuit -- Juneteenth Rodeos in Texas,” will be on display at the McCrory Timmerman Gallery, 112 W. Second St., through July 15.
Taylor’s Juneteenth Freedom Day celebration took place Saturday and started off with a parade starting at Heritage Square Park, 400 N. Main St., and ending at the Dickey-Givens Community Center, 1015 E. Martin Luther King Jr Blvd., where the celebration continued with brunch. The festivities ended Saturday evening at Heritage Square Park with numerous activities. Photos by Steve Doak
