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As Juneteenth holiday approaches, Selma 60 is preparing for another mass meeting, this time honoring the legacy of educational equity and community advocacy in Alabama’s Black Belt region.

The Selma 60 Juneteenth Public Education Mass Meeting, which is hosted by State Sen. Robert Stewart and State Rep. Prince Chestnut, will be Tuesday, June 17, at Mt. Zion Primitive Baptist Church. They will have a barbecue and book giveaway at 4 p.m. followed by the mass meeting at 6 p.m.

The keynote speaker will be State School Board Member Dr. Tonya Chestnut, who will be highlighting many of the positive things that are going on not only in Selma and Dallas County, but also across the region. She is looking forward to being about to speaking about her passion for education.

“That is a passion of mine to serve on our school state board and represent the largest school board district in the state,” Dr. Chestnut said.

Dr. Chestnut said she is also excited about the book giveaway. They will have books for students mainly from ages pre-kindergarten through seventh grade. They are all free of charge to any children attending the event.

“What we want to do is to foster an environment where reading is encouraged,” Dr. Chestnut said. “Reading at an early age is so important to the success of our students, and this is one way where we can help promote reading in our community.”

In addition to the book giveaway, Dr. Chestnut said she looking forward to sharing the good news about what is happening in education in her district.

“You may not realize it, but other states are looking to us to see what is happening in education here,” Dr. Chestnut said. “We are doing a lot of good things in education right here in Alabama.”

Sen. Stewart said that this event is not just about the mass meeting.

“This is more than a meeting,” said Sen. Stewart. “It’s a day of reflection, community, and advocacy—an opportunity to raise our collective consciousness around public education and equity in our communities.”

Dr. Chestnut said she also plans to share some of her experiences of growing up during the Civil Rights Movement and how it affected her life. She was one of the first African American students who attended Cedar Park Elementary School, which was viewed as a “modern school” that opened in 1968.

“I had the opportunity to experience part of the Civil Rights Movement and to experience the benefits that it brought us,” Dr. Chestnut said. “So, it is very special to get an opportunity to speak at this event right before Juneteenth.”