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Ottumwa community gathers for fourth annual Juneteenth celebration
Monica Leo, left, and Dartanyan Brown perform "Remembering Buxton" at Ottumwa Juneteenth Celebration. (Photo by Tom Foley/Iowa Capital Dispatch)
OTTUMWA — Black history took center stage Thursday during the fourth annual Ottumwa Juneteenth celebration.
Families and community members gathered in Central Park for a day of live entertainment and education centered around 'unity in the community.'
'Juneteenth gives an opportunity for us to celebrate the holiday, to celebrate the achievements of Black Americans, ' said Rachelle Chase, an Ottumwa author and one of four organizers for her city's Juneteenth celebration. 'That's the one time, the one holiday where the spotlight is on that.'
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In 2020, Chase noticed a local theater troupe was hosting a weeklong Juneteenth event. She recognized the attention the Black community was getting in the wake of George Floyd's murder and decided to partner with local Pastor Diana Koger, Joe Koger and Dr. Jeff Hendred to organize a local celebration.
Ever since, the Ottumwa community has joined in the long-standing tradition of Juneteenth, which began as early as 1866. Many historians place the first celebration of what was then called 'Jubilee Day' to Galveston, Texas, where many gathered to celebrate the first anniversary of the emancipation. It officially became a national holiday in 2021.
'It's imperative that we, especially in the times we are in right now, take a moment to recognize and commemorate our history. The truth of our history,' said Dana James, founder and publisher of Black Iowa News. 'The truth of this country begins its history of enslavement. Why wouldn't we commemorate the end of that?'
James is the founder of a digital news platform dedicated to showcasing the Black community and amplifying the voices of Black Iowans. Her paper held one of several booths around the park promoting community resources such as the Ottumwa Human Rights Commission, several Black-owned businesses such as 5 Star Graphic Design, and many others.
At 1 p.m., families gathered in a shaded corner of Central Park for Eulenspiegel Puppet Theater Company's performance of 'Remembering Buxton,' based on Chase's book 'Creating the Black Utopia of Buxton, Iowa.' Her book tells the story of an unincorporated coal mining town, established in 1900, where the Consolidation Coal Mining Company provided miners with equal housing and pay, regardless of race.
'It was a complete anomaly for its time because it was a 100% egalitarian town,' said Monica Leo, managing director and lead puppeteer for Eulenspiegel. 'It only existed for 25 years because the coal mine played out.'
Leo said she was 'inspired by that story and wanted to do something with it,' so she reached out to Chase and the two collaborated in interpreting the story of Buxton as a puppet show. Recognizing a need for live music, they reached out to Des Moines musician Dartanyan Brown who wrote and performs the music for the story of Buxton.
Leo and Brown have performed in shows together since the 1970s, when the two worked as part of the Des Moines Art Collective, a travelling art group that performed in towns with populations less than 5000.
Brown said festivals like Juneteenth are important because they 'give people a sense that they, their heritage, their culture and their history are relevant to the entire American picture.'
James added: 'Black Americans helped make this country what it is and you can't tell the story of this country without telling the stories of Black Americans, they're right in the center of it.'
Editor's note: Rachelle Chase, Dana James and Dartanyan Brown are members of the Iowa Writers' Collaborative, which has a partnership with Iowa Capital Dispatch.
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