voc ep 64: Bishop Craig Coates

Images courtesy of Fresh Start Church

Bishop Craig Coates talks with joy and purpose about his life and multifaceted work, and the mission of the Annapolis Juneteenth Celebration team to commemorate the emancipation of the last enslaved Africans in the United States. On June 19, 1865, Union troops arrived to Galveston, Texas to enforce the Emancipation Proclamation. Although the Emancipation Proclamation had been issued over two years prior, the news was withheld from many enslaved Africans. This weekend marks the two-day Juneteenth celebration of freedom and a continued legacy of resistance, empowerment, and community building. www.theannapolisjuneteenth.org

Annapolis Juneteenth 2021 was the direct result of a vision God gave Phyllis “Tee” Adams one night. “I awoke and told my husband about the vision. I saw what appeared to be an overwhelming crowd of people coming together in Annapolis, MD for a festival,” recalls Tee. “The word that God gave me was simply ‘Juneteenth’. My immediate response was simply, ‘God, if it falls on a Saturday, then I will do whatever you are calling me to do.’” Needless to say, Juneteenth fell on a Saturday. Thus the vision was born.” Phyllis “Tee” Adams, Founder & Visionary