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ZEBULON - Pike County Times published the article “BREAKING NEWS: Pike County's Juneteenth Celebration to Be Held in Concord” on June 12, 2026. The article (shown directly below this article) chronicled meeting and open records information showing that the annual Juneteenth event hosted by the Pike County NAACP Branch 5228 event was scheduled on the courthouse square in Zebulon on June 20, 2026 but ended up being moved to the Outreach Center in Concord after the NAACP sent a letter to both the City of Zebulon and Pike County Board of Commissioners canceling their request to use the courthouse grounds.

After publication of the article, the individual who had placed the request with the County and the City originally on behalf of the local NAACP, Sean Walker of Defiant Ones Marketing LLC, accused Pike County Times of libel and demanded a correction, clarification, and publishing of a right of reply statement to the original article.

At that time, Pike County Times advised that another open records request had been made to obtain any information that wasn’t available at the time of the first article, and that the article would be followed up as soon as the information was available. Walker was advised that Pike County Times writes from official documentation obtained through open records from official entities such as the City of Zebulon and the Pike County Board of Commissioners including post agendas and minutes and that there would be no meeting with Walker or the NAACP on this article.

However, Pike County Times did advise Walker that since there would be a follow up to the original article after obtaining open records documents, Walker’s request for a right of reply would be published. Walker was also advised that he would be notified when the article went online.

Walker requested that the follow up article be given the same amount of publicity as the first. Pike County Times agreed to honor that request as well.

Walker’s Right of Replies

The first reply was sent through Facebook and by email on June 12, 2026 as read as follows:

“Sean Walker disputes any implication that he misrepresented the Pike County NAACP, improperly collected vendor fees, mishandled vendor funds, or caused the cancellation of the courthouse event through wrongdoing. Walker states that he is a current NAACP member and was actively involved with Pike County NAACP Unit 5228 in connection with the Juneteenth event. Walker further states that he was personally encouraged by Patricia Beckham to pursue leadership within the branch and believed he was acting with organizational knowledge and authority when assisting with the permit process, vendor outreach, event planning, and marketing. Walker states that he has meeting minutes, receipts, communications, and other documentation regarding vendor payments, event planning, and internal branch conduct, and that the published article did not include his full explanation or supporting documentation. Walker is requesting a correction so the public record reflects the complete facts.”

Another email arrived on June 15, 2026 with a request to make the following right of reply. It read as follows:

“Sean Walker disputes any implication that he misrepresented the Pike County NAACP, improperly collected vendor fees, mishandled vendor funds, or caused the cancellation of the courthouse event through wrongdoing. Walker states that he is a current NAACP member and was actively involved with Pike County NAACP Unit 5228 in connection with the Juneteenth event. Walker further states that he has meeting minutes, receipts, communications, and other documentation regarding vendor payments, event planning, and internal branch conduct, and that the published article did not include his full explanation or supporting documentation.”

The Request for Open Records

Pike County Times wrote this article after having received the last of the requested open records on the way to Kansas for vacation. Information included in this article was obtained from the Pike County Board of Commissioners.

The Open Records Request read as follows:

“Pursuant to the Open Records Act, I request a copy of the following:

1) Copy of the county business license for Defiant Ones Marketing LLC and Front Porch Community Partnership, Inc.

2) A copy of any and all emails that the Clerk and County Manager have received from Sean Walker

3) A copy of the approval letter that is showing on Sean Walker's FB post at
www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=10164451998262300&set=a.10150796741877300 (Screenshot of post is attached.)

Thank you for your help on this matter.”

Receipt of Open Records

The first and third requests were easily answered. The second will be answered last because there are emails that go back to February of 2026.

The first request for a copy of the business license for Defiant Ones Marketing LLC and Front Porch Community Partnership, Inc. brought a response from Planning and Development. There was not a business license for either business in their data base as of June 16, 2026.

The third request was in reference to the county approval letter that was posted on Sean Walker's Facebook post. The information contained in the letter was correct, but it was not an actual copy of the approval letter that was obtained by open records. The open records letter had a header including the actual Pike County seal and a list of county representatives with the actual signature of the County Clerk as well as the notation that the letter had been carbon copied to the County Manager and Sheriff.

The second request was extensive and will be listed by subject.

Walker Request for Open Records from the BOC - February 9, 2026

On February 9, 2026, Walker requested the following from the Pike County Board of Commissioners: "copies of all public records maintained by any Pike County office, department, or agency that reference, relate to, or document incidents, complaints, reports, calls for service, citations, or enforcement activities" associated with his home address on Green Street. [Note from the Editor: Pike County Times is not posting his home address per Pike County Times policy even though Walker has listed it on social media.]

The February 9, 2026 request by Walker to the Pike County Board of Commissioners asked for records from January 1, 2015 through February 9, 2026 that specifically included incident reports or case files, animal control complaints or investigations, law enforcement calls for service/reports, citation reports, written complaints submitted by members of the public, narrative reports and supporting documents, officer/staff body camera or audio/video recordings, and email or written correspondence related to incidents at the address.

Request for Open Records from Animal Control - February 13, 2026

On February 13, 2026, Walker sent a "Request for Scheduled Communication and Clarification of Authority" email to the County Clerk of the Board of Commissioners, County Manager, and Animal Control in Pike County. This letter, addressed to the Director of Animal Control by Walker, was regarding "the recent unannounced visits to my property by Pike County Animal Control personnel."

He advised that SouthEast Doodles LLC is "fully licensed with Georgia Department of Agriculture, and the previously issued stop order has been formally lifted. There are no outstanding state compliance matters."

He requested that any future visits to his property "be scheduled in advance and that the specific statutory or ordinance authority for the visit by clearly identified prior to arrival."

He wrote that while he understood that the county had regulatory responsibilities, he said that "repeated, unannounced visits without clear notice of purpose" created "unnecessary disruption and concern." He stated that he was willing to cooperate with any lawful and properly noticed inspection or inquiry but that he did "not consent to entry into any private residential areas of my property absent a warrant or clearly established legal authority." He said that any future access must be limited to areas lawfully subject to inspection.

He asked Pike County Animal Control to please advise in writing of 1) The specific ordinance or authority under which recent visits were conducted, 2) Whether any formal complaint or zoning enforcement files have been opened, and 3) Whether there were any outstanding compliance concerns that required his attention. "My intention is to ensure clarity, cooperation, and adherence to applicable law on all sides," he wrote, with a thank you to Animal Control for its attention to this matter.

Paving Project List and Road Prioritization

Walker sent an open records request to the County Clerk of the Pike BOC on April 9, 2026 regarding the County's paving list and road prioritization with an emphasis on Green Street / Fossett Road.

After the county's response, Walker saw that both roads were already listed as paving projects but said that excessive dust was affecting the homes, vehicles, and quality of life of those living on those roads. He asked to be placed on the agenda so residents could receive clear answers.

According to the legal minutes from the April 28, 2026 meeting, Walker addressed the Board regarding Fossett Road and Green Street. He raised safety and maintenance concerns and requested a formal assessment, timelines, transparent prioritization and communication by the County. The Board acknowledged the comment.

NAACP Request for Juneteenth

Much of this is written in the first article, but there is additional information included in this follow-up article.

Walker applied for the Juneteenth Community Celebration on behalf of the NAACP Pike County Branch 5228 on April 8, 2026. The request was approved for use of the courthouse grounds for Walker on the behalf of the Pike County NAACP 5228 for the Juneteenth Community Celebration in the April 28, 2026 meeting. [Note from the Editor: That originally said June 8 instead of April 8. I'm on vacation, and I missed it. Sorry for my error.]

On May 7, 2026, Walker sent an email to the county asking about temporary street closures and traffic control around the courthouse grounds. The county clerk advised Walker that county only authorized the use of the courthouse grounds. She advised that Walker would need to contact the City of Zebulon for a request to close Jackson Street and the Georgia Department of Transportation for Highway 18 and Highway 19 closures.

On May 17, 2026, Walker sent an email to Pike NAACP President Patricia Beckham regarding the Juneteenth event. He said that after careful consideration, he had decided to step away from involvement with the Pike County NAACP Branch and related organizational activities. He said that he appreciated the opportunity to have contributed his time, creativity, marketing efforts, and event planning support during his involvement.

He then told her that because the Juneteenth event reservation, organizational filings, vendor coordination, and operational planning were submitted independently under his name and through Defiant Ones Marketing, he would be transitioning the event and future summer community events under Defiant Ones Marketing.

He wished Pike NAACP continued success in its future efforts, appreciated the relationships built during his involvement, and advised that his goal was to "continue creating community-centered events that support local businesses, entrepreneurs, food vendors, families, and cultural engagement throughout Pike County and the surrounding areas."

On May 19, 2026, a voice mail was left for the county clerk that said, "Yes, Angela, this is Sean Walker. We were just talking and you seem to have gotten really upset and you disconnected the phone on me and now you are sending me to voicemail and I am not seeing that this is very professional and I definitely do not want to file a complaint without giving you an opportunity to treat me professionally. So I will be standing by for a callback. Thank you."

Later on that same day, Walker sent an email to the county clerk and the county manager that thanked the county clerk for speaking to him regarding the Juneteenth event reservation and permit application for the courthouse square. In the email, Walker clarified for the record that he was the individual who submitted the application and reservation request for the event and that he had coordinated the planning, vendor coordination, sponsorship outreach, marketing, operational organization, and overall event marketing through Defiant Ones Marketing.

He said that although the event "was originally discussed in connection with the Pike NAACP branch, no separate contractual authority, financial responsibility, operational control, or ownership of the event was transferred to the NAACP organization itself. Due to the organizational and operational concerns, I have decided to move forward independently and transition the event management and branding away from the NAACP umbrella." He requested the process or forms to make a change to who would be running the event.

Walker then said when speaking to the county clerk earlier in the day, he felt that there may have been "a misunderstanding regarding my tone or intent." He said that his frustration was not directed personally toward the county clerk but rather "toward my attempt to understand the process for making a correction or amendment to an application that was submitted under my authority as the applicant and organization."

He also wanted to respectfully note that he was placed on speakerphone during the call without his knowledge beforehand, and the conversation "unfortunately ended before I felt the matter was fully addressed." He said that he attempted to follow up by phone and voicemail "in hopes of resolving the issue professionally and collaboratively."

Walker said that his intention was not to create conflict with the county, but rather to "ensure transparency, proper documentation, and a successful event that positively serves Pike County residents, businesses, vendors, and visitors." He ended by asking for the next step in the process on how to transfer the Juneteenth event from the NAACP to Defiant Ones Marketing LLC.

A short time later on the same day, County Manager Rob Morton responded to Walker by email. He advised that the application for the Juneteenth event was approved by the Board of Commissioners for use by the Pike NAACP Branch. Morton further advised that, as he and Walker had discussed that afternoon, the application was approved for an expected number of attendees of 150 to 250 and not the 1,500 to 2,000 that was advertised. Morton also said that it was his understanding that Walker had tendered his written resignation from the Pike NAACP Branch.

Morton then clarified that the Board of Commissioners had approved the use of the courthouse grounds on June 20, 2026 for the Juneteenth event by the Pike NAACP and not Sean Walker or Defiant Ones Marketing.

He said that Walker was welcome to submit an application regarding the use of the courthouse grounds, but it was his understanding that the NAACP intended to move forward with the event that was already approved on June 20, 2026.

He ended by saying, "In addition, this email also serves to confirm that I have requested that you communicate through me and that you no longer communicate with Angela Blount, our county clerk."

The minutes for the May 21, 2026 Special Called Meeting of the Pike County Board of Commissioners had a clarification for the Juneteenth event that was made in an open meeting with NAACP President Patricia Beckham and other members in attendance. Morton said that the use of the courthouse grounds on June 20, 2026 had been approved for the NAACP Pike Branch and that the submitted application identified an attendance of 150 to 250 and not 1,500 to 2,000 as had been advertised by individuals who had not been approved by the Board of Commissioners.

Closing

All events that occurred after this are laid out in detail in the first article below.

Documents were obtained from the City of Zebulon and Pike County to show the NAACP Pike Branch sending a June 1, 2026 letter to both the City and the County asking the County to rescind the permit to use the Courthouse grounds on June 20, 2026.

On June 5, 2026, NAACP Pike Branch sent a letter to Walker advising that the Branch "must rescind permission" to use the courthouse grounds for the annual Juneteenth Celebration on June 20, 2026 and would be relocating the event to another location, and since the event had been requested, planned, and authorized on their behalf, they would bear the full responsibility and accountability for the event. In that letter, Walker was advised that his actions and misrepresentation of the local NAACP had caused them to escalate this matter to the Georgia NAACP Legal Department for review and action.

The NAACP Pike Branch's request to rescind the Juneteenth event was heard and approved by the Pike County Board of Commissioners in the June 10, 2026 meeting.

The request for street closure was made and heard by the Zebulon City Council in the June 1, 2026 meeting. The post agenda stated the the NAACP had cancelled their event so there was no need to approve the road closure.

NAACP Pike Branch held Pike County's Juneteenth Celebration, "The Journey to Freedom Continues" on June 20, 2026 at 480 Second Street in Concord at the Old Mount Calvary Outreach Center. This included a Voter Registration Drive and allowed vendors to be a part of the event without paying a vendor fee.

Thank you to First Bank of Pike for sponsoring Pike County Times’ Breaking News Alerts! First Bank of Pike has been serving customers in Pike County and the surrounding area since 1901 and offers Personal and Business banking with a personal touch. Services include checking, savings, money market, certificates of deposit, and IRA’s. Mobile Banking and Bill Payment services are also available! Click here for more. Please let First Bank of Pike know that you appreciate their sponsorship of Breaking News Alerts on Pike County's only FREE online newspaper!

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ZEBULON - The Juneteenth event that was scheduled to be held on the Pike County Courthouse grounds on Saturday, June 20, 2026 has been canceled, and the event has been moved to a new location due to a disagreement between the local NAACP and Pike resident Sean Walker.

Pike County NAACP Unit 5228 cancelled their request to hold this event on the Courthouse grounds, and the application was officially rescinded at the June 10 meeting of the Board of Commissioners. Prior to this action, the request for street closure for the event was not approved by the Zebulon City Council at their meeting on June 1.

Instead, the 2026 Juneteenth Celebration will be hosted by Pike County NAACP at the Outreach Center located at 480 2nd Street in Concord on Saturday, June 20.

The Request to Use Courthouse Grounds with the County

A request to use the Courthouse grounds for the annual Juneteenth Celebration was given to the Pike County Board of Commissioners by local resident Sean Walker on behalf of Pike County NAACP Unit 5228. Commissioners heard the request to use the Courthouse grounds during the April 28, 2026 meeting and approved the use of the Courthouse grounds for the event. The application gave an anticipated attendance of approximately 150 to 250 individuals.

In the May 21, 2026 Special Called Meeting of the Pike County Board of Commissioners, County Manager/Attorney Rob Morton clarified the use of the Courthouse Grounds based on a flyer that had been posted on social media referencing a possible attendance of 1,500 to 2,000 people.

From the minutes: “Mr. Morton stated that the Board approved an application submitted by the NAACP Pike County Branch for use of the Courthouse Grounds on June 20, 2026, from 8:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m., in connection with a Juneteenth event. Mr. Morton noted that the approved application identified an anticipated attendance of approximately 150 to 250 individuals. He further clarified that advertisements referencing attendance of 1,500 to 2,000 individuals were not approved by the Board.” Members of the NAACP Pike County Branch were in attendance at this meeting.

On June 1, 2026, the Pike County Board of Commissioners received a letter from the local NAACP asking Pike County to rescind the permit to use the Courthouse grounds on June 20, 2026 for the annual Juneteenth Celebration. The request was heard at the June 10, 2026 meeting of the Board of Commissioners.

Since the Pike County NAACP had asked for and received authorization to use the Courthouse grounds for their event, commissioners approved their request to rescind the permit to use the Courthouse grounds in a 5-0 vote.

Chairman Briar Johnson announced in the meeting that new location of the event would be at 480 Second Street in Concord at the Old Mount Calvary Outreach Center on June 20, 2026.

Request for Street Closure with the City of Zebulon

A request for street closure had made to the Zebulon City Council. The matter was handled when it came before City Council in their June 1, 2026 meeting.

The post agenda simply stated that the NAACP had canceled their event so there was no need to approve the road closure.

Letter to Sean Walker

On June 5, 2026, a letter was sent to Sean Walker from Patricia Beckham, President of Pike County NAACP. The letters and all information contained in this article were obtained through open records by Pike County Times.

Walker was advised that the Pike County NAACP “must rescind permission” to use the Courthouse grounds for the annual Juneteenth Celebration on June 20 and would be relocating the event to an alternate venue. He was advised that since the event had been requested, planned, and authorized on behalf of the local NAACP, they would bear “full responsibility and accountability for the event, including its administration, operations, and financial management” and not Walker or his marketing company.

Walker had previously attempted to have the permit changed to his organization, but his request was denied by County Manager Rob Morton in writing. The NAACP quoted part of Morton’s response to Walker in this letter: “…The Board of Commissioners has not approved the use of the Pike County Courthouse Grounds on June 20, 2026, by Sean Walker or Defiant Ones Marketing.”

The letter also referenced a May 20, 2026 email from Walker to the NAACP in which Walker said that he had raised approximately $700 or more through fundraising efforts for the event, and that this action was determined to have placed the local NAACP in an “untenable position and raise significant legal and organizational concerns” because it appeared that Walker had solicited funds using the name of the NAACP without approval and that he had charged vendor fees when the NAACP had “expressly agreed that vendor participation would be free of charge and that no vendor fees would be collected.”

Walker was then advised that his actions and the misrepresentation of the local NAACP had caused them to escalate this matter to the Georgia NAACP Legal Department for review and action.

The letter closed by stating that the local NAACP remained committed to celebrating Juneteenth and honoring its significance within the community but said that this celebration had to be conducted “in a manner that protects the integrity of our organization and ensures compliance with applicable laws, regulations, and NAACP guidelines.”

The letter was copied and sent to Pike County’s County Manager, the Pike County Sheriff’s Office, the Zebulon Police Department, and the NAACP Georgia State Conference (Legal Department).

Zebulon Event Has Been Canceled; Event Moved to Concord

The Zebulon event has been canceled and is not a sanctioned or permitted event. The use of the Courthouse grounds was rescinded by the Pike County Board of Commissioners and the permit to close the streets around the Courthouse was not approved by the City of Zebulon.

Vendors who have paid money to be a part of this canceled event can contact Walker for the return of their fees.

Vendors are welcome to be a part of the Juneteenth Celebration at the new location.

Closing

Pike County's Juneteenth Celebration, "The Journey to Freedom Continues," will be held on June 20, 2026 at 480 Second Street in Concord at the Old Mount Calvary Outreach Center.

The program will take place at 1:00 p.m. Pastor R. Belcher from Joyful Tabernacle of Praise in Concord will be the keynote speaker. The public is invited to attend.

A Voter Registration Drive will be held from 11 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.

Vendors are welcomed to be a part of this event. Donations will be welcomed, but there is no cost to attend this event. Vendors will be required to sign a waiver to be a part of the event. Setup time is 9:00 a.m.

This event is sponsored by the Pike County NAACP and supported by Concerned Citizens 4 Pike (CC4P).

Thank you to First Bank of Pike for sponsoring Pike County Times’ Breaking News Alerts! First Bank of Pike has been serving customers in Pike County and the surrounding area since 1901 and offers Personal and Business banking with a personal touch. Services include checking, savings, money market, certificates of deposit, and IRA’s. Mobile Banking and Bill Payment services are also available! Click here for more. Please let First Bank of Pike know that you appreciate their sponsorship of Breaking News Alerts on Pike County's only FREE online newspaper!

INFORMATION ABOUT RECEIVING BREAKING NEWS ALERTS CAN BE FOUND, HERE.

Thanks for reading and supporting Pike County Times.com!