CULLMAN, Ala. – Two much talked about events will take place in Cullman County Saturday, June 20. The Back the Blue Rally will be held in Good Hope and the Juneteenth Community Cookout will be happening at Veterans Park in Hanceville.
The newly-formed group Committee for a Better Cullman is hosting the Hanceville event. Juneteenth is a holiday that marks the day the last slaves in Texas were freed, June 19, 1865, more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was issued. The cookout will be held at Veterans Park from 3-6 p.m.
Community members have expressed concern about the Committee, particularly on Facebook, with Hanceville Mayor Kenneth Nail addressing the event in a live video (SEE BELOW).
The group said in a statement, “This event will be a traditional celebratory cookout, comparable to celebrations of other American holidays like Labor Day and 4th of July. We will be grilling food, eating fruit and playing music. We will have popsicles and water guns for the many children who will be in attendance. We will be honoring historical black leaders Fred Hampton, Alabama native Angela Davis, and Martin Luther King, Jr. by listening to some of their more notable and relevant speeches. We will be offering community members a chance to voice their insights and concerns of the community, as well as ideas they have for improvements. This will be a fun, productive, family friendly event and we welcome all those from the community who honor black lives and critical thinking.”
Free food (including some vegan-friendly options) will be available. The event was originally scheduled to be at C.W. Day Park, but was moved to Veterans Park because of previously planned youth sports activities and the opening of the Hanceville pool at C.W. Day. The larger venue at Veterans Park will allow for better social distancing practices. Masks are encouraged.
In Good Hope, Bob Hoglam from Billy Bob’s Fireworks Super Store will be holding the Back the Blue Rally to show support for law enforcement officers and their families. This will take place from 2-6 p.m. in front of the store (located at 1670 County Road 437).
Hoglam said this was something he has been planning for a while.
“I called in some favors to get the food, and I waited to make the announcement until I got the artwork done,” he stated. “Our police officers have been treated as villains for so long all over the country. I know that there’s some bad officers out there, but right now the police need our support more than ever.”
Officers and their families will be provided with free meals of barbecue, baked beans, chips and drinks. Attendees who act fast enough can receive a thin blue line flag (Hoglam said he only has a limited supply to give out), and there may be a few inflatables for the kids to enjoy.
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