Lexington community celebrates Juneteenth with food, music, and culture at SoulTeenth Fest

LEXINGTON, Ky. (ABC 36 NEWS NOW via LEX NEWS) – On Saturday evening, hundreds gathered at Gatton Park in Lexington to celebrate Juneteenth and honor a late African American advocate and trailblazer with music, food, and culture at annual SoulTeenth Fest.

The event organized by SoulFeast Week and the Blue Grass Community Foundation featured local vendors, food trucks, and musical performances to honor the Juneteenth Holiday.

For the first time, SoulFeast Week partnered with the Lexington Black Prosperity Initiative to dedicate Saturday’s event to R.C.O. Benjamin, a late African American journalist, lawyer, and minister who “fought fiercely for the dignity of Black Americans.” Benjamin died in 1900 when he was killed in Lexington in retaliation for efforts in registering Black Kentuckians to vote, according to a press release.

“Given the challenges we see across America today, Benjamin’s mission is more timely than ever. His legacy is a powerful reminder that our vote is our voice,” SoulFeast Week wrote in a press release.

Courtesy of LEX News