- December 4, 2025
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The Juneteenth Freedom Day event was hosted by retirees and friends of Orange County Community Action & Head Start Inc. Charlie Mae Wilder, organization president, right.
Project boards were set up around the back of the Mildred Dixon Center to educate residents in attendance and honor past black leaders who fought for freedom.
Attendees downed colorful clothing to celebrate their rich heritage for the event.
Aliya Johnson, LaRhonda Smith and Ingrid Mallet attended the event together.
Health by Design was one of the many organization’s in attendance, a nonprofit that provides healthcare education and health screening to poor and low-income individuals living in Winter Garden.
Morgan Woods welcomed Winter Garden residents to the event.
Zandell Johnson from the Maxey Community Center shared a few words.
Anthony Dawkins, captain and support services commander at the Winter Garden Police Department, spoke at the event.
Winter Garden Police Officer James McLeod, who is a member of the city’s community liaison unit, was one of the featured speakers.
Freddie Anderson gave a short history on trailblazer Ketanji Brown Jackson, an American attorney and jurist who has served as a circuit judge for the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit since 2021.
Angela Foster spoke of trailblazer and civil rights activist Stacy Yvonee Abrams.
Danae Prince discussed poem writer Amanda Gorman.
Vida Addison passionately read the poem “Still I Rise.”
Joseph Singletary shared history on several influential black figures including Former President Barack Obama.
Henry Buddy Foster spoke highly of Orange County Mayor Jerry L. Demings.
Ladonica Hardee and Danae Prince picked up platters from the event’s food sponsor Grandma’s Barbeque.
Rose and Charlie Brown attended the event together.
Children played on a bounce house and enjoyed food from Grandma’s Barbeque at the celebration.
Winter Garden residents gathered outside to celebrate the Juneteenth Freedom Day event behind the Mildred Dixon Center on Friday, June 17.
The celebration was hosted by retirees and friends of Orange County Community Action & Head Start Inc. Charlie Mae Wilder, organization president, who said the event was in partnership with the West Orange Neighborhood Center for Families and the city of Winter Garden.
The afternoon’s activities included prayers, history, inspiring words of encouragement, songs of praise, children’s activities and even food from Grandma’s Barbeque.
