# State Commission on African American Affairs backs Malone Center, Juneteenth festival  
**Published:** 2026-04-29T18:08:42.000Z  
**Source:** [Flatwater Free Press](https://flatwaterfreepress.org/april-22-nebraska-commission-on-african-american-affairs-highlights-community-partnerships-and-juneteenth-support/)  
**AI-generated:** yes (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001)  
**Canonical:** https://lincolne.news/article/state-commission-on-african-american-affairs-backs-malone-center-juneteenth

The Nebraska Commission on African American Affairs heard presentations on key community initiatives on April 22, according to the [Flatwater Free Press](https://flatwaterfreepress.org/april-22-nebraska-commission-on-african-american-affairs-highlights-community-partnerships-and-juneteenth-support/).

The commission received a presentation from Malone Center CEO John Goodwin and Executive Director Shannon Martin-Roebuck on the organization's "Breaking the Cycle Initiative," which focuses on eliminating multigenerational poverty through youth development, education, maternal wellness, mental health support and housing assistance. Presenters described a range of programs including STEM-focused after-school activities, entrepreneurship training, addiction recovery support, maternal and paternal wellness services, literacy initiatives and community health outreach.

Goodwin said the Malone Center is nearing completion of a $23.1 million capital campaign and anticipates a ribbon cutting May 6 for its new facility. Since 1955, the Malone Center's vision has been to create unity and prosperity throughout Lincoln while honoring African American heritage, with a mission to end multigenerational poverty in Lincoln.

Commissioners also heard details on community events including back-to-school supply distributions, holiday outreach efforts and initiatives aimed at improving relationships between youth and law enforcement.

The commission later received a presentation from Freedomtainment Inc. founder Calvin Williams regarding upcoming Juneteenth events in Omaha, including expanded programming downtown and at Miller Park, a free concert and youth-focused community engagement efforts. For the sixth consecutive year, Freedomtainment is hosting The Omaha Freedom Festival, an all-day, family-friendly celebration of Juneteenth at Miller Park in the heart of North Omaha.

Commissioners approved a resolution supporting Freedomtainment's Juneteenth celebration after discussion centered on confusion surrounding the sponsorship process and the amount of proposed funding, ultimately approving a $5,000 sponsorship.

Executive Director Mogien Boyd outlined strategic planning efforts, including a proposed multiyear partnership with the Malone Center and outreach efforts aimed at building connections with African and African American organizations in Minnesota.

## Sources

- [Flatwater Free Press](https://flatwaterfreepress.org/april-22-nebraska-commission-on-african-american-affairs-highlights-community-partnerships-and-juneteenth-support/)
- [Malone Center Breaking the Cycle Capital Campaign](https://malonecenter.org/)
- [Freedomtainment - Omaha Freedom Festival](https://www.freedomtainment.com/omaha-freedom-festival)
- [Nebraska Commission on African American Affairs](https://ncaaa.nebraska.gov/)

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This article was generated by AI (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001) based on source material from Flatwater Free Press, enriched with 3 web searches. The original source is available at https://flatwaterfreepress.org/april-22-nebraska-commission-on-african-american-affairs-highlights-community-partnerships-and-juneteenth-support/.