Hazel Park and Sibling Cities Raise Juneteenth Flag, Announce Scholarship Program
(Crystal A. Proxmire, June 21, 2023)
Hazel Park, MI – Student artwork lined the lobby of Hazel Park City Hall as local officials, city employees, and folks from the Hazel Park School District gathered for the raising of the Juneteenth flag on Monday June 19.
The question asked of students was “What does Juneteenth mean to me?” The resulting images celebrated diversity, freedom and history.
“60% of our student population is African American,” said Hazel Park Schools Superintendent Amy Kruppe. “So we work hard to make sure that we’re teaching about equity and inclusion.” Kruppe said. The district had originally created an Equity Committee, which looked at curriculum and policies through the perspective of racial equity, while keeping in mind the needs of LGBTQ+ students, as well as socio-economic needs.
“The work they did was so meaningful that now we don’t have the committee any more, because now it’s ingrained in everything we do. Now we look at all of our decisions through an equity lens,” Kruppe said.
In front of city hall, officials from Hazel Park joined with Ferndale Mayor Melanie Piana, Ferndale Councilperson Raylon Leaks-May, Madison Heights Councilperson Quinn Wright, and members of the Hazel Park School board for the raising of the flag.
Hazel Park Councilperson Alissa Sullivan explained the history of Juneteenth, and how in 1865 – two years after the Emancipation Proclamation – federal troops arrived in Texas to announce to enslaved people that they were finally free.
Juneteenth has long been celebrated in the black community, but only in 2021 did it become a national holiday. “We are years behind in recognizing this important day,” Sullivan said. “This is a small symbol for our community to show we celebrate liberty and justice for all.”
Hazel Park partnered with Ferndale for a pair of celebrations, with Ferndale also raising the Juneteenth flag the same evening. Ferndale Councilperson Leaks-May spoke at the Hazel Park event, echoing the history and wearing a red dress to symbolize freedom. “Today I’m wearing red because red became a symbol of resiliency, You’ll see hints of red in food and drink, especially in the BBQs which I love,” she said.
Madison Heights councilperson Wright had taken part in the larger celebration of Juneteenth in his town the weekend before, sharing that it was a great event with people of all backgrounds coming together with “a real community feel” to the festivities. At the podium he told the audience “As we go from Juneteenth to July 4th, remember it’s liberty and justice for all.”
In addition to raising the flag, a special Juneteenth-themed scholarship program was announced. Sullivan said that the Hazel Park Arts Council would be accepting applications through July 19 for two $1,000 scholarships. The “Sibling City” Juneteenth Scholarships are open to Juniors and Seniors in Ferndale or Hazel Park School Districts. Students may apply online at the Hazel Park Arts Council website.
Note: The story previously referred to the “Sibling City” scholarship as “Sister City,” and has been updated with the correction.
