06/21/2026
A MESSAGE FROM Kevin Wright, President of the Board of Directors of Madison Heights Citizens United...
The 2026 Madison Heights Juneteenth Celebration on Saturday at Civic Center Park was truly a special event. It was our biggest turnout ever, and it was great to see so many smiling faces of different races, ages and faiths come together to celebrate freedom. The event was the culmination of nearly six months of planning.
I’d like to take a moment to thank all who played a part in making it a memorable and impactful celebration befitting such an important American holiday as Juneteenth.
First of all, thank you to our sponsors – Henkel, the Oakland County Board of Commissioners, the Madison Heights Community Foundation, KeyBank, Meijer, DTE Foundation, Oakland County Parks, Sheetz, Consumers Energy, Sherman & Sherman P.C., Michigan Schools & Government Credit Union, Michigan Math & Science Academy, New Standard Cannabis, Clean Express Auto Wash, National Heritage Academies, State Rep. Mike McFall, Target, Quinn W. Financial Planning and So Icy Italian Ice – whose generosity allowed us to present the event free to the community, and thank you to everyone who attended from Madison Heights and across Metro Detroit.
Thank you to MHCU Board member Laurie Geralds for all of her behind-the-scenes work helping organize the event and for making sure everything ran smoothly. Thank you to Ken Porter for all of his help, doing whatever was necessary to ensure the event was a success. Thank you to Carly Schulze and all the volunteers who showed up bright and early and worked hard all day to help make the celebration possible.
Thank you to our nearly 50 vendors, who offered goods and services at our pop-up marketplace, and to our food trucks, which served up a delicious menu of sweet and savory treats.
Thank you to Tony Austin for emceeing the opening ceremony and reading General Order No. 3. Thank you to Gary Price Jr., associate pastor at Nehemiah’s Temple of the Apostolic Faith, for uplifting us with the opening prayer.
Thank you to the performing artists – Smoke Jones & Heart and Soul Band, X. Alexander Durden, Kayfabe: The Ppls Band, Groove Fellowship, The Circle of Sound Band, Rosemont and Shawn Tracey – for sharing their immense talents with us and the community.
Thank you to Josh Ford and the crew from Motor Town Sound for another year of impeccable sound. Thank you to Erynn Paris and the dancers from Infinity Dance Studios for gracing us with two powerful performances, “Rosa” and “Power.” Thank you to Tony Austin, Brian Davis, Toya Aaron, Tonya Anderson, Quinn Wright, Laurie Geralds and Erynn Paris for introducing our performing artists.
Thank you to Oakland County Parks for providing the 25-foot climbing tower through a recreational assistance grant; to Chamberlin Pony Rides for the petting zoo and pony rides that delighted our young visitors; to Bouncing All Around for the bounce houses and inflatable obstacle course; to the Oakland County Health Division for bringing its mobile unit onsite; to Xav’s Catering LLC, our official caterer; to Robert Young Photography, our official photographer; to C2Local, our webmaster; to Amy Guzynski and Lamphere Schools for providing chairs for the concert area; to MHCU Board Director Michael Howard; to the elected officials at the state, county and local levels who were in attendance; to Savers Wholesale Printing, our official printer; to the Human Relations and Equity Commission for announcing its 2026 Juneteenth Scholarship recipient at the event; and to the City of Madison Heights for helping spread the word about the celebration.
Thank you to Justin and the crew at Madison Heights DPS for all of their hard work getting the park ready and maintaining it throughout the afternoon; to the Madison Heights Police Department for keeping us all safe; and to the Madison Heights Fire Department for bringing a fire truck to Agnello Drive for children of all ages to enjoy.
I apologize if I have inadvertently omitted anyone. We are already looking forward to an even bigger and more impactful celebration next year.
Thank you all for helping make the 2026 Madison Heights Juneteenth Celebration such a memorable and meaningful day.
