MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. — As last-minute preparations for Juneteenth celebrations were wrapped up Saturday, a relatively new type of activism was already underway in Golden Valley.
For the second year, the turnout doubled, and people celebrated Juneteenth by running. Some ran just a half mile, others a 5K. Either way, it was a step forward in many ways.
“The purpose of the marathon was just to bring people together,” said Deanna Perkins, who helped organize the marathon with the Loppet Foundation. “It was just for the community to come together to celebrate Juneteenth, to celebrate freedom, to celebrate community and togetherness and to work together.”
Perkins said it was fitting that Saturday's event began with an emphasis on activism. Before the first race, she and other organizers had spoken out about their tireless commitment to keeping Black Minnesotans healthy.
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“To me, this is like giving back to the community by encouraging someone in the community while they're still alive,” Perkins said, “and maybe inspire others to follow in their footsteps.”
Propes reminisced about Minneapolis' first Juneteenth celebration in 2007, which already had the goal of improving health and wellness.
“We set up a giant health tent,” Propes said, “where all the health care providers who are trying to reach out to the area set up tables and shared what they can do to ensure the health of people in the area.”
At their “We are the Noise” Juneteenth event on Saturday, University of Minnesota doctors worked to keep that tradition alive.
“Doing outreach activities at events like this is great as a way for people to come and see us,” said Dr. Alavi Rajagopal, a medical researcher at the University of Minnesota Children's Hospital. “It allows people from communities of color to see that there are people like them in the medical community and that these goals are achievable.”
“You have to be healthy to be healthy,” Perkins said, “to be able to cope with life and move forward. I told them Juneteenth is a day to celebrate freedom. How can you celebrate freedom if you're not healthy?”
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Adam Daxter
