JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – In celebration of Father’s Day, The Martin Luther King Memorial Foundation held a free BBQ at A. Philip Randolph Heritage Park.
What better way to celebrate dad than with a good old fashion BBQ?
The MLK Memorial Foundation put this together so all dads in Jacksonville know they’re appreciated.
“You know that old saying that people keep repeating about it takes a village to raise? This is the village…yeah this is the village,” said Gary Thomas, President of the MLK Memorial Foundation.
The BBQ not only celebrates fathers in this community but is also part of a three-part Juneteenth celebration. There were black-owned businesses there celebrating the fact that today so many of their ancestors were finally freed.
News4JAX asked local black business owners what it means to be a part of the celebration.
“Everything…just everything. I just can’t express how important it is to try and get out and venture on your own and just be a part of Black history,” said Tracey Turner, owner of Blingalicious Café.
“I think this is a great day in history because we got two big events happening on the same day,” said Kuwananh Payne-Baker owner of Cowford City T-Shirt Company.
The powerful combination of both holidays recognizes the past and the future.
Participants got the chance to celebrate fathers and father figures while also pushing for a progressive future.