Moorhead Juneteenth Celebration at Concordia

Event organizers say the day was all about celebrating Black culture and bringing the community closer together.

MOORHEAD, Minn. (KVRR) – Today is Juneteenth, and a big crowd turned up at Concordia College to mark the holiday.

The fourth annual Moorhead Juneteenth celebration took place on the bell tower lawn near Knutson Campus Center.

It was a full day of programming, with a proclamation from Mayor Shelly Carlson, live music and stand-up comedy, and food and services from local vendors – amongst other activities.

Event organizers said there’s a long way to go before black people feel truly liberated and empowered in this country – and there are some issues that are particularly worrisome for people of color in Moorhead.

“I would say the top 3 things are: graduation rates,” explained Fred Edwards, curator of events.

“African American students graduate at one of the lowest rates in this area. [Second,] staying in college once you get into college. The dropout rate is horrendous no matter if it’s a private college or public college. But the most important thing is fentanyl. I think it should be on everyone’s mind, to eradicate fentanyl for any youth.”

The festival began at 3 and ran until 7 P.M.