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Benton County proclaims Juneteenth; NAACP to host community celebration in Albany
Summary
The Benton County Board of Commissioners unanimously adopted a proclamation recognizing Juneteenth on June 19, 2025. Jason J. Dorsett read the proclamation and announced a free community celebration hosted by the NAACP on June 21 at Linden Community College in Albany.
Benton County commissioners unanimously adopted a proclamation recognizing Juneteenth on June 19, 2025, after Jason J. Dorsett read the text at a regular meeting.
Dorsett, identified in the meeting as representing the NAACP, read the proclamation aloud and said, “Juneteenth commemorates the emancipation of enslaved African Americans in The United States celebrating freedom and marking an essential milestone in our nation's history.” The board’s chair, Nancy Wise, called for a motion; a commissioner moved to adopt the document and the motion passed by voice vote with all members saying “aye.”
The proclamation, cited in the meeting as “P 20 25 days 0 19” and described verbally as proclaiming June 19, 2025, as Juneteenth in Benton County, states that Juneteenth “serves as a reminder of the resilience, courage, and perseverance of generations of African Americans who fought for freedom, equality, and justice,” and encourages community remembrance through educational events and gatherings.
Dorsett also announced a free community celebration organized by the NAACP and partners for Saturday, June 21, from 1 to 6 p.m. at Linden Community College in Albany. He described the event as family-focused, with food, field games and workshops for educators and parents, and said a speaker was scheduled to travel from Atlanta for the program. Dorsett told the board, “we invite the entire public, all residents of both Lynn and Benton County to join us.”
Commissioners briefly commented on plans to attend. One commissioner identified as Shepherd said he planned to attend but might arrive late because of a town-hall meeting scheduled at 1 p.m. Another commissioner, identified as Ishmael, said he would not be able to attend because the date marked the first day of his vacation.
The meeting record shows the proclamation was adopted and the board heard the event announcement; no other formal actions or allocations related to the proclamation or the event were recorded in the transcript segment for this agenda item.
The county provided no further budgetary or logistical details for the event during the recorded remarks.
