The children dashed through the sun-kissed grass, laughing and shouting. A ball flew through the air and a little boy leaped to catch it. Others raced around the playground, their faces alight with the happiest of grins. But for the parents who watched, the best part was that the playing kids didn’t even think about the various ethnic backgrounds of their friends.

This microcosm of a perfect world happened at the Juneteenth celebration on June 14 at Windjammer Park. Juneteenth celebrates the liberation of African Americans from slavery. It began in Texas on June 19, 1865. Now, Juneteenth is a time to commemorate freedom and teach respect for all cultures.

For Pastor Fannie Dean, president of Unity Fellowship, Juneteenth was a time to enjoy “how good it is for brothers and sisters to dwell together in union.”

Inspiring music played as friends and family gathered to relish their time together. Warm sunlight and the sizzling of barbecue filled the air. Conversations and laughter joined in a joyous symphony, creating a welcoming aura for all.

“I see eight different cultures here right now,” Dean said, pleased.

Joycelin Vester happily joined in the celebration.

“This is a good opportunity for fellowship and networking and I want to see it be more of a community event. It’s a good opportunity to come together and celebrate freedom. Sometimes, we get too complacent and we need to realize the people who gave their lives for freedom. This is a time of remembrance. When we forget, we become selfish,” Vester said.

Juneteenth isn’t as big a celebration in the west. In the the south, there are parades and booths selling handmade items.

“Oak Harbor isn’t ready for that yet, but one day, I believe they’re going to get that,” Dean said.

Unity Fellowship sponsors this event. The Oak Harbor Black Citizen Association started the celebration in Oak Harbor, but when they stopped, Unity Fellowship took over. Unity Fellowship also does the Martin Luther King, Jr. program.

“We do this event not just for Unity Fellowship but for Oak Harbor. People are getting away from history, but you need history to keep staying alive,” Dean said.

Dean and Effie Boyles of House of Prayer said Juneteenth would attract more people if they could put up a banner downtown. Dean saw many people at the park who didn’t know what was going on.

“At something like this, there should be a lot more people. It needs to get out there earlier,” said Boyles. “The biggest thing is having someone in authority to back us so it’ll get out there.”

Boyles explained how she has lived near prejudiced families in the past who only dealt with her family when they absolutely couldn’t help it. However, Oak Harbor is better about that because it’s a military town, which makes it more integrated, said Boyles.

Grace Schiffman noticed a lack of prejudice in younger generations.

“Kids in young age groups aren’t so prejudiced anymore. For them, it’s normal that a woman and an African American man are running for president,” said Schiffman. Her three children were among the playful bunch on the playground.

Dean seeks to bring this unity to Mission Ministries Outreach, the church she and 20 families from her current church are building.

“A lot of people are not used to having things that belong to them. Think about people in slavery. But God helped us move forward and in 1999, God gave the church the vision for Mission Ministries Outreach,” Dean said, passionate about her cause.

It’s been a lengthy journey for Mission Ministries Outreach. They went through two locations before ending up on Goldie Road. Now, they are waiting on paperwork from Oak Harbor.

“We need help from everyone, every race, like how it was done at Fort Nugent Park, to build the church. It’s been a long process, but if we keep pressing forward, we’ll be able to use it for outreach programs,” Dean said.

“We need prayer and financial support in any way,” Vester said. They hope to have a fundraising barbecue on the grounds.

Schiffman adamantly said Dean is a perfect leader for the new church.

“Go to her and she’ll pray you through your problems, no matter who you are. She’s truly a color-blind woman,” Schiffman said with a smile.

As the sun grinned warmly down on the group, the children prepared to play tag and the adults enjoyed each other’s company, knowing friendship isn’t limited to any one race.

“We’ve got a good, sunny day and I’m looking to have a good day,” Dean said contentedly.

Mission Ministries Outreach is located at 1751 Goldie Rd. For more information or to help, contact Mission Ministries Outreach at 360-679-9246.