Photos: On Juneteenth, Overland Park community holds advocacy + awareness peace rally

Kansas City Star
·1 min read
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The second annual Advocacy and Awareness Peace March and Rally on Juneteenth took place in Overland Park this weekend. Members of the community gathered to hear speakers and watch performers at the rally on Saturday.

Juneteenth, also known as Freedom Day, is the oldest national celebration of the emancipation of slaves in the United States. President Joe Biden signed a bill on Thursday establishing Juneteenth as a federal holiday.

Saturday’s event was organized by the Advocacy and Awareness Group of Johnson County, Women of Purpose and other community partners.

In the invitation for the event listed on the advocacy group’s website, it said the rally was meant “to amplify the importance of acknowledging the past, addressing the issues of our present, and inspiring for the future.”

Check out photos from our Kansas City Star photographer:

Members of the KCK All Star Band perform at the second annual Advocacy and Awareness Peace March and Rally on Juneteenth, Saturday, June 19, 2021, at Thompson Park in Overland Park, Kansas. Community members clapped and danced as the band performed.
Members of the KCK All Star Band perform at the second annual Advocacy and Awareness Peace March and Rally on Juneteenth, Saturday, June 19, 2021, at Thompson Park in Overland Park, Kansas. Community members clapped and danced as the band performed.
Darrien Case performs poetry at the second annual Advocacy and Awareness Peace March and Rally on Juneteenth, Saturday, June 19, 2021, at Thompson Park in Overland Park, Kansas. Members of the community gathered to hear speakers and watch performers at the rally.
Darrien Case performs poetry at the second annual Advocacy and Awareness Peace March and Rally on Juneteenth, Saturday, June 19, 2021, at Thompson Park in Overland Park, Kansas. Members of the community gathered to hear speakers and watch performers at the rally.
Community members gather at Thompson Park for the second annual Advocacy and Awareness Peace March and Rally on Juneteenth, Saturday, June 19, 2021, in Overland Park, Kansas. Members of the community gathered to hear speakers and watch performers at the rally.
Community members gather at Thompson Park for the second annual Advocacy and Awareness Peace March and Rally on Juneteenth, Saturday, June 19, 2021, in Overland Park, Kansas. Members of the community gathered to hear speakers and watch performers at the rally.
Members of the KCK All Star Band perform at the second annual Advocacy and Awareness Peace March and Rally on Juneteenth, Saturday, June 19, 2021, at Thompson Park in Overland Park, Kansas. Community members clapped and danced as the band performed.
Members of the KCK All Star Band perform at the second annual Advocacy and Awareness Peace March and Rally on Juneteenth, Saturday, June 19, 2021, at Thompson Park in Overland Park, Kansas. Community members clapped and danced as the band performed.
Overland Park council member Paul Lyons speaks at the second annual Advocacy and Awareness Peace March and Rally on Juneteenth, Saturday, June 19, 2021, at Thompson Park in Overland Park, Kansas. Members of the community gathered to hear speakers and watch performers at the rally.
Overland Park council member Paul Lyons speaks at the second annual Advocacy and Awareness Peace March and Rally on Juneteenth, Saturday, June 19, 2021, at Thompson Park in Overland Park, Kansas. Members of the community gathered to hear speakers and watch performers at the rally.
Karen Armstead performs a dance during the second annual Advocacy and Awareness Peace March and Rally on Juneteenth, Saturday, June 19, 2021, at Thompson Park in Overland Park, Kansas. Members of the community gathered to hear speakers and watch performers at the rally.
Karen Armstead performs a dance during the second annual Advocacy and Awareness Peace March and Rally on Juneteenth, Saturday, June 19, 2021, at Thompson Park in Overland Park, Kansas. Members of the community gathered to hear speakers and watch performers at the rally.