Hundreds gathered in South Park Friday for the first day of this year’s Juneteenth celebration, featuring essay readings from two Lawrence high school students.
The Lawrence Juneteenth organization invited students to submit entries earlier this year. The prompt for this year’s contest was “How has your past strengthened you for your future?”
Out of 15 entries, three winners were chosen. Both Chelsea Oparaji and Joshua Eason read their essays to the crowd; a third student was not able to attend.
Oparaji is a rising senior at Lawrence High School and the daughter of Nigerian immigrants. Her essay, titled “My Past and Future,” explored Oparaji’s experience with educational pressure throughout her upbringing.
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“I can remember many weekly library trips, Brain Quest quiz books, and educational toys and games,” Oparaji read.
“Tests, especially in math, became a source of crippling anxiety for me, and I often fear letting my grades slip. I now realize that my devotion to these ideals has caused me to fear failure, which has limited my mindset, causing me to think about success in terms of grades and awards without fully appreciating the other important aspects of education.”
Oparaji spoke about how she has been able to learn to “cherish the aspects of education that nourish the soul” while maintaining a deep appreciation for her parents’ devotion to her education.
Eason, a rising junior at Free State High School, drew inspiration from Black poets in his essay, titled “Passing the Baton.”
“A baton was passed in my hands before I even knew what a race was, smooth with the sweat of my ancestors, warm with the palms that held it, through cotton fields and crowded trains, through marches and microphones, through silence that was never surrendered, only breath being gathered,” Eason read.
Eason quoted poets such as Langston Hughes, Maya Angelou, Gwendolyn Brooks, James Baldwin and Audre Lorde, reading, “I heard Audre Lorde whisper, ‘Poetry is not a luxury.’ It is breath made visible. It is the bridge between what we feel and what we dare to say. From her, I learned that silence is heavier than speech, and I was not built to carry unnecessary weight.”
For Oparaji and Eason, reading their essays at the Juneteenth celebration helped them engage with the community and inspire others to think more deeply about the holiday.
“It’s definitely really cool to be a part of history, and knowing that I can just make a small difference in Lawrence, and maybe touch some hearts, make them think deeper about Juneteenth, like what type of holiday it is and what it celebrates,” Eason said.
Oparaji hopes her essay encourages young people to write.
“I think that, definitely in this political climate, we need to put more emphasis on writing and engaging with your past and your community,” Oparaji said. “I think that it’s really a great thing that they have this essay contest to encourage the youth and show them how important it is to do these kinds of things and write and just connect with yourself.”
Saturday’s continuation of the Juneteenth celebration will begin with a sold-out tour of local Underground Railroad sites. The annual multicultural parade on Massachusetts Street will start at 11 a.m. before the public celebration commences at noon at South Park, featuring live music and readings by the essay contest winners at 2:15 p.m.
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Hannah Loub (she/her), reporting correspondent with The Lawrence Times since January 2026, is a 2026 graduate of the University of Kansas who majored in journalism and global and international studies. She also served as lead digital producer for KUJH and worked as a beat reporter for the University Daily Kansan. Read her work for the Times here.
Jacob Rice (he/him), photo editor, has worked with The Lawrence Times since March 2026. He can be reached at [email protected].
Read his complete bio here. Check out his photography for the Times here. Read his articles for the Times at this link.
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