By GAGE WILSON
for Glasgow News 1
As light rain tapered off and clouds began to lift, an hour of spoken word, personal testimony, and expressive dance brought the Barren County YMCA to a quiet pause Thursday, as community members gathered to honor Juneteenth — not just as a history lesson, but as a living story of freedom.
The event was organized by the Y’s programs coordinator Danielle Bradley, who emceed the program, holds a special reverence for the holiday and the togetherness she says it represents.
“When I come to the YMCA, I don’t see color… everybody here is my friend,” she said. “I treat everybody the same regardless of what color they are, and to me that’s what Juneteenth is about.”
Jalisa Glover spoke with encouragement grounded in faith and empowerment, reflecting her work as founder of GodRestoreHer Ministries and co-leader of a university mentoring program. Gage Wilson/ for Glasgow News 1
Kicking off the list of speakers was Jalisa Glover, who spoke about moments — how, good or bad, important ones should be remembered. Glover used the facility itself as a metaphor, sharing how she had always enjoyed her time there, but that it was also where she experienced her first heartbreak. She emphasized that while she had many good memories, the painful ones couldn’t be ignored.
Tying this reflection to the occasion, she noted that while the Emancipation Proclamation was a significant milestone in civil rights, it wasn’t a quick fix.
“Many slaves, mentally and spiritually, were still chained. They didn’t know where to start,” she said. “One thing is for certain: Juneteenth was, and still is, a moment — and it’s a moment we should never forget.”
The Divine Miracles, composed of four young performers, brought the crowd to a quiet stillness with an interpretive dance. The performance was emotionally charged, bringing some in the crowd to tears. Gage Wilson/ for Glasgow News 1
A hush fell over the crowd as The Divine Miracles, a quartet of young performers affiliated with Wigwam Full Gospel Church, expressed the joy and struggle of the African American community through interpretive dance.
Akaisha Hayes, a 20-year-old college student and intern at Barren Inc., offered a younger perspective—sharing what community and involvement have meant to her growing up in Glasgow. Gage Wilson/ for Glasgow News 1
Eyes turned next to Akaisha Hayes, whose message was not to focus solely on the past, but to learn from it and look toward the future. She spoke directly to the youth in attendance: “You have power right now. Speak it and share it. Change starts with your voice. Don’t let Juneteenth be the only day we talk about Black Americans.”
Closing the event was pastor and author J. Jeremiah Jordan, who spoke about the concept and cost of freedom. He began by engaging the younger audience members, gently calling back their attention.
“I want all you kids to shout — and I know you can,” he laughed. “I want you to shout with me: ‘I am free to be me!’” The children responded with energy, and Jordan transitioned into a discussion about the dangers of forced conformity. “Often, people will try to make you be a copy of who they are,” he warned.
He spotlighted George Washington Carver, a prominent 20th-century scientist and, as Jordan pointed out, the son of slaves. Praising Carver’s curiosity, “You never want to accept someone else’s truth as your fact,” he said. “You always need to know for yourself.”
Bookending his motivational talk, Jordan affirmed, “Everybody has a gift.”
As the gathering drew to a close, the moment felt less like an event and more like a shared endeavor. In the words of George Washington Carver: “How far you go in life depends on your being tender with the young, compassionate with the aged … because someday in life you will have been all of these.”
At the YMCA, in one hour of dance, testimony, and togetherness, that vision came quietly to life.
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