KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The KC Defenders hosted a Juneteenth cookout on Thursday, drawing together families and friends in a vibrant celebration of community, love, and Black joy.
The event, held at Harris Park, featured a lively atmosphere complete with a DJ spinning tracks, food fresh off the grill, and a basketball tournament offering a $500 cash prize.
“This is really a cookout, this is like your family, your cousins,” said Phoenix Smith, KC Defender culture curator and program lead for the Juneteenth celebration. “Nobody here you should be shy of, nobody here you shouldn’t talk to; everybody is bringing love and good energy. I’m having a great time.”
Among the attendees was Queena Roberts, who expressed the significance of the day to her.
“This is my Fourth of July,” Roberts said. “And to bring my grandson and his cousin out to show them that we celebrate us.”
The cookout offered an array of activities, including free food, horseback riding, bounce houses, and various games, all in honor of Juneteenth — a day marking the end of slavery 160 years ago.
“We have overcome. We keep moving forward, and each year these events get bigger and bigger. Everybody’s accepting and recognizing that Juneteenth is here and will continue to be here.”
As the day unfolded, attendees cooled down with refreshing snow cones and participated in guided yoga meditation sessions. The event also integrated a focus on education, emphasizing the importance of political awareness and the reason why we celebrate the holiday.
“Something you can always expect from the Defender is a political education,” Smith noted. “Of course, we want enjoyment, but we also have a mission here.”
Vendors at the event contributed to this mission, offering resources and goods designed to uplift and educate attendees.
La’Nesha Frazier is the co-owner of Bliss Books and Wine.
“We create, we invite, we do all of these things," Frazier said. "We are a movement, we are a culture, we are the beginning and the end. We are everything to me."
The celebration marks just the beginning of a weekend full of festivities in Kansas City as the community comes together to honor Juneteenth's history and Black culture.
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