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The City of Tullahoma and Tullahoma Parks and Recreation are hosting a Juneteenth Fellowship event to mark the federal holiday on Thursday June 19, at the C.D. Stamps Community Center beginning at 11 a.m. The event is open to the public, free to attend, and will feature four speakers that will discuss topics focusing on the Juneteenth holiday. The 2025 featured speakers will be Eric Vanzant, Alderman Sernobia McGee, Thomas Davis, and Dr. Monty Burks.

Eric Vanzant is a MTSU graduate and ordained minister at Agape Ministries in Winchester, where he serves as the director of the Campora Family Resource Center. There, he provides anger management counselling for children and adults, tutoring for elementary school students, and is an advisor for the Men of Distinction and Girls Leading Our World life-skill programs within Franklin County Schools. He is also the recipient of the 2017 Franklin County Citizen of the Year and 2020 Franklin County Finest Volunteer awards.

Sernobia McGee is a native of Tullahoma and the first African American female to serve as Tullahoma Alderman. She has founded a social media campaign called You’ve Been Crowned, designed to support, uplift, and empower women, with over 4,000 members nationwide. She also served as the first African American Chaplain for the Tullahoma Police Department and currently serves Tullahoma working at Vanderbilt Harton Hospital.

Thomas Davis is native of Tullahoma and a father of four. He is the Founder of the non-profit organization Focus And Follow Through, Inc. which focuses on supporting and giving back to local youth. His passion for his community includes organizing and supporting events such as #KBDay, The Scholarship Ceremony, and The Christmas Gala.

Dr. Monty Burks currently serves as Deputy Director of The Governor’s Faith Based and Community Initiatives for the State of Tennessee, where his focus is bringing the non-profit and faith-based community together to better serve Tennesseans. Burks has used his own personal lived experience in the criminal justice system to provide insight and leadership in hiring formerly incarcerated and others that have fought and earned a second chance.

Recently, Burks served as a delegate at the National Convening of State Courts with Tennessee’s Chief Justice and the Administrative Office of the Court. He has more than 22 years’ experience working with the criminal justice system in various roles and has earned national recognition as the “Outstanding Professional of the Year” from the Southern Criminal Justice Association for helping the justice involved break down employment barriers. 

“We are proud to present this fellowship event to mark the Juneteenth holiday for the community,” said Parks and Recreation Director J.P. Kraft. “We’re grateful for our outstanding speakers and their willingness to share their perspective on Juneteenth with the community. We are also appreciative of Steve Berry, who helped us organize the event again this year.”

Steve Berry is a native of Tullahoma who served in the U.S. Army during Operation: Desert Storm. He currently works at East Middle School in their Special Education department and coaches East Middle School Track and Field. He is a long-time youth advocate and an active member of the non-profit organization, Focus and Follow Through.

About Juneteenth

According to the website for the National Museum of African American History and Culture at The Smithsonian, on June 19, 1865, nearly two years after President Abraham Lincoln emancipated enslaved Africans in America, Union troops arrived in Galveston Bay, TX with news of freedom and the end of the war. More than 250,000 African Americans embraced freedom by executive decree in what became known as Juneteenth or Freedom Day. In 2021, Juneteenth was established as a federal holiday, opening it to symbolic and global interpretation and providing a better understanding of the evolution of our nation and its people. Juneteenth celebrations then, like now, recognize the ongoing fight for human rights and equality and are commemorated through family cookouts, faith services, musical performances, fellowships, and storytelling events.

The event will begin at 11 a.m. with a meet and greet social time with the speakers, then the formal program beginning at noon on Thursday, June 19 and is open to the public. Light refreshments will be served immediately following the event, provided by Tullahoma Parks and Recreation through Just Like Granny’s Catering of Tullahoma.

For more information and questions about the event, please contact the recreation department at 931-455-1121.