UPDATED: African American Awareness Research Council to host Juneteenth Celebration in Hillsboro

Join the African American Awareness Research Council (AAARC) of Hillsboro and Ohio Humanities for a celebration of Juneteenth Freedom Day Saturday, June 22 from 1-3 p.m. Due to this week’s high temperatures, the location of the event has moved from Liberty Park to indoors at New Hope Baptist Church, located at 128 E. Beech St. in Hillsboro.
 
Juneteenth National Independence Day is a federal holiday celebrated annually on June 19 to commemorate the ending of slavery.

The celebration will feature a screening and panel discussion of “The Lincoln School Story,” a half-hour documentary from Ohio Humanities directed by award-winning filmmaker Andrea Torrice that examines the fight for school desegregation led by a group of Hillsboro mothers and their children in 1954.
 
Free copies of the children’s book “Step by Step: How the Lincoln School Marchers Blazed a Trail to Justice” will be distributed to the first 100 attendees. “Step by Step” author Carlotta Penn will participate in the panel discussion after the documentary and will be available during the event to sign books.
 
The event is free and open to the public and will feature outdoor lawn games and light snacks. For more information about “The Lincoln School Story” and the story behind the film, visit lincolnschoolstory.com.
 
This event is supported by the African American Community Fund, an affiliate of the Foundation for Appalachian Ohio that serves serve African American communities throughout Appalachian Ohio’s 32 counties.
 
 
Publisher's note: A free press is critical to having well-informed voters and citizens. While some news organizations opt for paid websites or costly paywalls, The Highland County Press has maintained a free newspaper and website for the last 25 years for our community. If you would like to contribute to this service, it would be greatly appreciated. Donations may be made to: The Highland County Press, P.O. Box 849, Hillsboro, Ohio 45133. Please include "for website" on the memo line.