Juneteenth Celebration held in Comer

The Madison County Journal - mainstreetnews.com 6/22/22

The Perch in Comer hosted its first-annual Juneteenth Celebration Saturday, June 18. Participants and organizers took time to remember some noteworthy local historical figures like Austin Dabney, an enslaved Georgia man who fought in the Revolutionary War and Washington King, the son of formerly enslaved people and builder of Watson Mill Bridge. The group also remembered the thousands of enslaved and incarcerated people whose names are lost to history, but whose stolen labor built and strengthened the local economy.

Stories and personal memories were shared about the challenges of sharecropping and being among the first students to integrate Madison County schools. Nell Brown, who is running for District 5 Board of Commissioners, recalled picking cotton for two cents a pound to raise money to attend the fair. She also recalled the days when Comer had several grocery stores and businesses and she shared her hopes to bring healthy food and revenue back into the local community. Conolus Scott, who is running for State Senate District 47, was only 13 when his father entrusted him to care for and harvest the cotton crop while he went to Florida for a few months to earn money. Scott talked about the need for affordable housing and jobs beyond agriculture. Mayor Paul Walton of Hull spoke about the importance of people coming together across differences, noting that Hull’s newly unveiled mural by Broderick Flanagan at the Chevron at Glenn Carrie Rd and Highway 72 celebrates the strength and beauty of diverse communities and includes a Juneteenth Flag in the design.

Frederick Douglass Cooper, Jr., whose daughter Josina Guess is on the board of The Perch, talked about his great-great-great grandmother, Betsey Bailey, who was enslaved in Maryland in the early 1800s. Her grandson Stephen Bailey fought for the Union in the Civil War and another grandson was Frederick Douglass.

“Slavery didn’t just affect Black people, it affected everyone,” Cooper said.

Comer City Councilman Sherman Mattox opened and closed the time in prayer, giving thanks that people of all ages and backgrounds could celebrate freedom together in a spirit of love. Karen Hitchcock sold hand-stenciled Juneteenth water bottles and Hitchcock Candle Company sold handmade candles.

The Perch is located at 1926 Madison Street in downtown Comer near where the town cotton gin used to be. The building used to serve as the gin office and was once a restaurant called Saving Grace. It is now a nonprofit community center that offers an afterschool program, free events, and rentals for weddings and private events. Learn more at theperchcomer.com.

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