By Fred Guarino
The Lowndes Signal

Saturday was a great day for Lowndes County to welcome new visitors and old friends to the community of Burkville and the town of Fort Deposit as both communities held well attended family friendly events.
The annual Okra Festival appeared to be a tremendous success with plenty of good food, including seafood gumbo and fresh produce and arts and crafts including a full-size sculpture of Jesus in scrap metal by Dwight Henderson of Randolph.
And of course there was the renowned poster artist Amos Paul Kennedy signing his prized posters, including those celebrating the Okra Festival itself, of which this year’s proclaimed “Okra Is Peace.” One his past posters called Okra “The People’s Vegetable.”
The event was sponsored by sponsored by Annie Mae’s Art Place, the Blackbelt Community Foundation and Lowndes County Commission Districts.
In Fort Deposit many returned to their former hometown for the second Fort Deposit Reunion, which proclaims, “My roots began here and in our roots lies our strength.
That event began in 2010 when Earl Norman decided to have a reunion to bring the community together. His vision was to have residents, those who grew up and left, and those who had family members who once lived in Fort Deposit to come back to where their roots began for a reunion.
This year it was expected to draw more than 100 people from as far away as California.
The Okra Festival shows off arts and crafts and Lowndes County cooking in a family friendly community atmosphere in Burkville.
The Fort Deposit Reunion encouraged family and friends to reacquaint themselves with each other at the Fort Deposit Community Park.
This year’s event also drew activist who were arrested in Fort Deposit along with Civil Rights martyr Jonathan Myrick Daniels.
A tip of the hat to the organizers of both events.