Juneteenth

The NAACP and The Carson Center, in partnership with the City of Paducah, will host an inclusive and joyous event for the third consecutive year to celebrate Juneteenth - a National Day of Remembrance on the anniversary of June 19, 1865, the day enslaved people in Galveston, Texas learned they were free. This year's celebration, emceed by Curtis Hamilton, will take place at The Carson Center on Wednesday, June 19, 2024 at 5:00 PM with an inspiring program, fish fry supper, and celebratory concert.

High school students (grades 9-12) are encouraged to write a personal essay, narrative poem, or spoken word piece on the topic of Juneteenth and its role in our society. Essays can focus on the history, significance, celebration of, or personal experiences with Juneteenth. Winning authors will be awarded scholarship prizes at The Third Annual Juneteenth Celebration at The Carson Center. Each applicant will receive one free ticket to the event.

Entries must contain the following:

• Be in the form of a PDF or Mircrosoft Word document
• All text double-spaced and in 12-point font
• Include the author’s name, school, grade level, and contact information
• Emailed to mkatz@thecarsoncenter.org and igalliher@thecarsoncenter.org with the subject line “Juneteenth Essay” by Friday, May 10.

One grand prize and two runner ups will be selected based on creativity, originality, knowledge of the history and significance of Juneteenth, and overall composition.