Juneteenth was a regional affair for Middle Peninsula residents this year, with four branches of the NAACP joining to celebrate Freedom Day on Friday at the Cobbs Creek Arts Center in Cobbs Creek. Hosted by the Gloucester, Mathews, Middlesex and King & Queen branches of the NAACP, the event included a full lineup of music performances and inspirational talks, along with a variety of vendors filling the downstairs spaces of the arts center. Outside, there were more vendors, along with art activities and bounce houses for the children and food trucks for the hungry. The keynote speaker was Monica Hutchinson, president of the Henrico Branch of the NAACP. She spoke on the topic “The Unfinished March of We the People as We Bend the Arc Together.” Two representatives from the NAACP Virginia State Conference gave presentations—Religious Affairs Chair the Rev. Dr. Jeanette Lee and Youth and College President Jalen Vince—and several authors read excerpts from their books, including Corrine ...