Roswell Roots marks 24th year, committee urges broader outreach and youth recruitment

Mary Lucas, a member of the Roswell Roots Committee, said the Roswell Roots Black History celebration — sponsored by the city of Roswell — is entering its 24th year and the volunteer committee wants to expand awareness and recruit younger volunteers.

Lucas said the festival is an established event in the region. "It is one of the largest Black history celebrations on the Southeast Coast," she said, and organizers are aiming to make Roswell Roots more visible year-round and in places where residents may not know about it.

Lucas described her own involvement and the committee's structure, saying she has been involved with Roots for several years and that the chair rotates every two years. She said recent meetings show growth: "there were a lot of people that I didn't know. And that means growth, that, new people are coming in, new people are new ideas." Organizers emphasized recruiting younger members so leadership can transition to a new generation.

On the committee's approach, Lucas said members are volunteers and committed to the festival's mission: "This is a voluntary commitment. And the one thing that I love about the committee, they've all checked their egos at the door." She also said Roots aims for multigenerational programming "for the little children, the middle children, the teenagers," and that the committee collects names and ideas year-round to support outreach.

Lucas made clear that while the festival is city-sponsored, specific event dates, budgets and programming details were not provided in her remarks. No formal action or vote on the festival appears in the transcript.

Organizers said they plan continued outreach for 2025 and welcome new volunteers and ideas to sustain the event.