African American Builders of Topeka: Norma Aver

“My whole idea was to work to bring families back together, to keep God in their lives, to respect each other and themselves.” —Norma Avery

MY STORY I got started with Juneteenth when I began realizing that some years would pass and there were either no events or that I could not find where they were. It was after not seeing Juneteenth events, that I decided it was important for my grandkids to know the history and the meaning of what Juneteenth was all about. So, five years ago, I started work on Juneteenth ideas and planned out what I thought Juneteenth should be. In my mind, it had to start with what Juneteenth truly started with and that was family and church. That is why we are called Family and Friends Juneteenth Celebration.

Back in the day, that is what we as Blacks were all about: family, church, and friends. My whole idea was to work to bring families back together, to keep God in their lives, to respect each other and themselves.