2008 Iowa Juneteenth
‘Brief’ Calendar of Events
Updated 06/13/2008
Notice
Rescheduled Events - Posted June 18, 2008
The Iowa Juneteenth King & Queen Coronation and Banquet that was scheduled for June 13 was moved to June 30 because of flood-related events. See the Calendar of Events below for more details.
The Health Forum that was scheduled for June 18 was moved to July 18 because of flood-related events. See the Calendar of Events below for more details.
June 30
Activity A: Iowa Juneteenth King & Queen
Coronation
- Location: Hotel Fort Des Moines,
1000 Walnut Street (Des Moines)
Time:
5:30 PM
2008 Iowa Juneteenth King & Queen: Robert and Berniece Wright. King Robert is an attorney and former member of the national NAACP Board of Directors. Queen Berniece is a former educator and long-time civic activist.
Speaker: Honorable Patty Judge, Lieutenant Governor of Iowa
Free admission: Open to the public
Dress: Semi-formal (Coat and tie)
Contact: Howard Brown, Chair, Senior Services Committee, (515) 282-8170
Activity B: Iowa Juneteenth Banquet
- Location: Hotel Fort Des Moines,
1000 Walnut Street (Des Moines)
Time:
7:00 PM
Speaker: Honorable Ako Abdul-Samad, Iowa State Representative
Presentation of Awards: The Rising Tide Award is being presented to Rebecca A. Cook and Salat Jones, African American youth with the highest GPA’s in the Des Moines Public Schools.
Live Music: The George McCutchen Jazz Quintet
Admission: *General public tickets @ $30 each or $240 for a table (seats 8)
Dress: Semi-formal (Coat and tie)
Contact: Gary Lawson, General Chair, Iowa Juneteenth Observance, qms2000@aol.com, (515) 707-4768
June 14
Activity: Church Day
- Location #1: Maple Street
Baptist Missionary Church, 1552 Maple Street (Des Moines)
Time:
Noon.
Speaker: Reverend Abraham Funchess, Administrator, Iowa Commission on the Status of African Americans. The program will begin with a panel discussion on “Race in America” with a critical examination of the implications associated with the Rev. Jeremiah Wright/Barack Obama public rift, which took place a few weeks ago. The panel discussion will be followed by a brief service, to include a keynote address entitled “The Observance of Juneteenth: Where Do We Go From Here?”, that will be delivered by Rev. Funchess, who is also with Jubilee UMC in Waterloo. All activities will be finished by 3:00 p.m.!
Free admission: Open to the public
Dress: Casual - Location #2: Grace Methodist
Church at 3700 Cottage Grove in Des Moines
Time:
7:00 PM
Musicians: Walt Whitman and the Soul Children of Chicago will be ministering to an "open door" audience. Join Nate Pointer as the opening worshipper of Praise and then sit back and get ready to run with Walt Whitman and the 40-member youth choir!
Free admission: Open to the public (free will offering) Seating is available to the first 400 persons!
*CD table will be available for both guest artists.
Sponsored by: Veracity Financial Group and Miracle Life Family Church!
Dress: Casual
Contact: Reverend Abraham Funchess, Chair, Church Relations Committee, abraham.funchess@iowa.gov,
(515) 281-3855
June 16
Activity: Community Day
- Location: Nollen Plaza, 3rd & Locust
(Des Moines)
Time:
11:00 AM
Entertainers (in-process): Final Mix (featuring Del Saxman Jones) and the Des Moines Boyz
Free admission: Open to the public
Dress: Casual
Contact: Chauncey Mallett, Vice Chair, Organizational Support, directhitsmusic@yahoo.com (515) 277-1502
June 17
Activity: Education Forum
-
Location: Family Enrichment Center, Oakridge Neighborhood Family Services, 1236 Oakridge Dr. (Des Moines)
Time:
1:00 PM
Speaker: John Scott, Des Moines Public Schools educator, jazz guitarist, and singer-songwriter with more than 25 years of national and international urban education experience teaching in New York City, Chicago, New London (CT), Groton, (CT), Brazil, North Africa, and the Dominican Republic.
Focus: “The Gangsterization of Black Male Youth from the 1960’s to the Present in Film Culture, and what the Obama Generation Plans to Do about It?”
Presentation of Award: Mary McLeod Bethune Award is being presented to Marlene Doby, Executive Director of the Evelyn K, Davis Early Learning Academy in Des Moines.
Free admission: Open to the public
Dress: Casual
Contact: Dr. Vincent Lewis, Co-Chair, Education Committee, vince-lewis@hotmail.com, (515) 242-7200
July 18
Activity A: Health Forum
-
Location: Broadcast on the (ICN) to Cedar Rapids, Des Moines, Davenport, Sioux City, and Waterloo
Time:
1:00 PM
Speaker: Christopher M. Bates, Acting Director, Office of HIV/AIDS Policy, U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. Mr. Bates’ career began in the Carter White House in 1976, subsequently moving to the US Department of Agriculture. He worked in the Washington, D. C. government, where he served in the Departments of Transportation and Public Works. In 1997, he joined US Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of HIV/AIDS Policy (OHAP), which he has led for five years as Acting Director.
Focus: ‘HIV/AIDS: Strategies and Interventions to Promote Prevention, Counseling, and Testing in the
African- American Community’.
Presentation
of Award: James Derham Award is being presented to Dr. Russell
Adams, who is the Medical Director of the Allen Hospitalist
Program at Allen Memorial Hospital in Waterloo.
Reserved admission:
Medical and advocacy personnel
Dress: Casual
Contact: Steve Fields, Chair, Social Services Committee, sfields@efr.org,
(515) 313-7727
June 19
Activity: Proclamation Day
Location: State Capitol Building,
Secretary of State’s Office
Time: 10:00 am
Featured Activity: Juneteenth National Freedom Day Proclamation
Presentation: The Iowa Juneteenth Liberty Award is being presented
to lifetime Democrat, community and union leader, John Campbell of
Des Moines; and Phyllis Kelly of Charles City, Republican National
Committeewoman and Iowa political luminary. The Iowa Juneteenth
Liberty Award is recognition of the recipients’ time and efforts
regarding voter education and participation within the African
American community.
Free admission: Open to the public
Dress: Casual
Contact: Gary Lawson, General Chair, Iowa Juneteenth Observance,
qms2000@aol.com (515) 707-4768
June 20
Activity : Community Play at East High School
in Des Moines
Location: East High School Auditorium, 815 E. 13th Street in Des Moines
Time: 7:30 PM
Theatrical Play: “A Raisin in the Sun”: Ruth Ann Gaines, a National
Teachers Hall of Fame honoree, directs a
brilliant cast in this world renowned play that is a special treat for
all ages.
Admission: $5 (Adults) $3 (18 years and younger)
Dress: Casual
Contact: Ruth Ann Gaines, Chair, Arts Committee, ruth.gaines@dmps.k12.ia.us,
(515) 242-8143
