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Annual Juneteenth celebration held at Springfield Central High School
Servant Emannuel Branch
Servant Emannuel Branch of Rincon wears symbolic chains for freedom from racism and discrimination that still needs to be won. The names behind him are the more than 400 enslaved people who were sold during the "Weeping Time" sale March 2-3, 1859, in Savannah (Photos by Barbara Augsdorfer/Effingham Herald.)

By Barbara Augsdorfer, Editor for the Effingham Herald

More than 200 people braved the heat Saturday, June 15, for the annual Juneteenth celebration at the campus of the former Springfield Central High School. The event was hosted by the Effingham County Branch NAACP.

Juneteenth banner
Food trucks and vendors lined the front field and corridor leading to the gym. Inside there were more displays of art, brief presentations about the history and significance of Juneteenth, and more food and lots of socializing.

Kids drew on the cement with sidewalk chalk. Then went inside to cool off with free snow cones, and lined up for face painting by Karen Signal of Blue Sky Acres.

Displays of tools and other items from the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries were available for people – especially the kids – to see and touch. Some of the more intriguing or confusing items for the kids were a transistor radio, a cassette player, a record player with a 45rpm record on it; and a typewriter.