INDIANAPOLIS — A neighborhood bookstore continued its Juneteenth tradition this year, but made sure attendees learned about disparities in the Black community while having fun.
Ujaama Community Bookstore hosted a Juneteenth block party at the campus it shares with Flanner House on 24th Street and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Street.
The event featured activities for children and local vendors, but many of the vendor tables also displayed statistics about struggles Black Americans may still face more than 150 years after the Emancipation Proclamation.
Some attendees appreciated the block party's focus on educating people amid the jubilation.
"This will help them be able to change this world if they go on and make it a lot better," said Musa Mwaafrika, who said he grew up steps away from where the block party happened. "They'll have knowledge of themselves that they didn't have and didn't understand. It'll especially help them understand the racism we had to deal with on a daily basis."
This is the eighth year Flanner House has hosted a celebration for Juneteenth.
