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By Shirley Jackson | Alabama NewsCenter
The third annual Juneteenth Prayer Breakfast drew hundreds to the Bill Harris Arena in Birmingham for an uplifting morning of prayer, community fellowship, empowerment and reflection. The prayer breakfast commemorated the holiday, bringing together a diverse crowd of faith leaders, elected officials, civil rights advocates, business owners, Birmingham neighborhood presidents and area residents.
Here are some highlights from the event:
The early-morning ceremony opened with a liturgical dancer, a call to order, Juneteenth March to Justice and a posting of colors by the city of Birmingham Police Department Honor Guard, led by Chief Michael Pickett.
Following the opening, the festivities included national anthems, invocation, music tributes, mistress of ceremony and the 1963 Foot Soldiers tribute. The theme for this year’s Juneteenth prayer breakfast was “What is Your Worth?”
Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin emphasized the power of unity, while Jefferson County Commissioner Shelia Tyson highlighted the cultural and historical importance of Juneteenth.
Jefferson County District Attorney and League of Gentlemen founder Danny Carr hosted the prayer breakfast.
“These prayer breakfast meetings were born out of bringing people in the community together from various walks of life, religious beliefs and social, economic circumstances,” he said. “These people are put in a room to bring hope. Not only to those individuals, but to the community as well. Where there’s no care, there’s no vision. And where there is no vision, people can’t walk boldly in their purpose. I think it’s just important for us to get together to make sure that we put the ‘neighbor’ back in neighborhood and make sure that the community knows that there are resources out there. There are people who still care, and who still want to answer the call when the call is needed.”
Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin emphasized the power of unity, while Jefferson County Commissioner Shelia Tyson highlighted the cultural and historical importance of Juneteenth. (Anthony Cook, Alabama NewsCenter)Guests were served breakfast by Wenonah High School #1 Culinary Arts Program while they enjoyed a musical selection by Ensley’s True Love Church Praise Team.
Dr. Gregory Clark, pastor of New Hope Baptist Church, introduced the guest speaker Dr. Terry Anderson of Lily Grove Baptist Church in Houston, Texas. Anderson delivered a stirring and thought-provoking message centered around the Juneteenth celebration.
“There is a rich history behind this prayer breakfast,” said Regina Carr-Hope, who is the Juneteenth prayer breakfast chairman. “The tradition began back in the 1990s during Black History Month, when I was a teacher at Parker High School. Because the prayer breakfasts were highly successful, my son, District Attorney Danny Carr, proposed using that momentum to save at-risk youth through second-chance programs. Driven to try something different, they joined forces to launch the League of Gentlemen.”
Bethel Missionary Baptist Church Pastor Emeritus T.L. Lewis has attended the prayer breakfast since its inception.
“This esteemed event offered a sense of direction to the men in our community because we understand that there is power in prayer,” he said. “Prayer can not only change things, but prayer can change people, and they change the things. We encourage this prayer breakfast to continue to be the strength for the men in our community, and we are grateful to District Attorney Danny Carr for this initiative.”
Pastor Emeritus T.L. Lewis and his wife, Minister Joyce E. Lewis. (Contributed)Attorney, former U.S. Senator and Alabama gubernatorial candidate Doug Jones spoke about the power of prayer and the meaning of freedom during the Juneteenth prayer breakfast celebration.
The prayer breakfast concluded with an awards presentation, a rendition of “We Shall Overcome” and a closing prayer.
“This Juneteenth prayer breakfast served as a reminder to reflect and celebrate the historical significance of the emancipation movement,” said Ralph Williams Jr., vice president of Alabama Power’s Birmingham Division. “I am always proud to stand alongside spiritual leaders to honor the power of prayer.”
Juneteenth is the oldest known African American celebration of emancipation in the nation. It celebrates freedom and the official end of slavery. In 1863, President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation, which freed slaves from Confederate states. Two years passed before Union soldiers arrived in Galveston, Texas, on June 19, 1865, announcing to more than a quarter-million enslaved men and women that slavery had been abolished.
The holiday is called “Juneteenth” because it is a combination of the “June” and “nineteenth” date on which it falls. Some of the most common names for the holiday are Freedom Day, Jubilee Day, Liberation Day and Emancipation Day.
On June 17, 2021, President Joe Biden signed legislation making Juneteenth an official federal holiday commemorating the end of slavery in the United States.
To learn more or make a contribution to the League of Gentlemen Foundation, email info@leagueofgentlemen.com.au. For more information about Juneteenth, visit the Smithsonian National Museum website.
