A pair of Juneteenth events will be held on Saturday in Lansdale Borough, seeking to recognize and celebrate the moment that the Emancipation Proclamation had finally reached the very furthest points of the United States.
Here’s some background information on Juneteenth, courtesy of the New York Times:
“On June 19, 1865, about two months after the Confederate general Robert E. Lee surrendered at Appomattox, Va., Gordon Granger, a Union general, arrived in Galveston, Texas, to inform enslaved African-Americans of their freedom and that the Civil War had ended. General Granger’s announcement put into effect the Emancipation Proclamation, which had been issued more than two and a half years earlier on Jan. 1, 1863, by President Abraham Lincoln.”
One of Saturday’s events — dubbed the “Juneteenth Freedom Day Celebration” — is being organized by Shaheer Johnson, with help from the Lansdale Equality Coalition, which will begin with a march at noon from Lansdale Tavern to the parking lot next to Round Guys Brewing Company. Then, from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m., a block party will be held in the parking lot on South Wood Street, complete with food, drinks, face-painting, music from DJ Hill and speeches from local elected officials and activists.
From there, an afterparty will be held at Lansdale Tavern from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m.
In addition to that event, Shaykh Anwar Muhammad — owner of Lansdale’s Black Reserve Bookstore and current chairman of the Ambler NAACP — will be hosting a separate event at Memorial Park — dubbed “A Juneteenth Celebration” — from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
That event will feature music by DJ Tone Arm, crafts, food, speeches from local activists, including a guest appearance from Rev. W. Douglas Banks, warez from a variety of black-owned businesses and more.
Both events come one year after Lansdale Mayor Garry Herbert proclaimed every June 19 as “Juneteenth” within the borough. To mark the occasion, a Solidarity March and Rally was held on June 19, 2021, in front of Lansdale Borough Hall and down West Main Street.
Several hundred people attended last year’s inaugural event, which included speeches from Shaykh Muhammad, Herbert, Lansdale Borough Police Chief Michael Trail and former NAACP Economic Development Committee Chairman Donald Lyons.
See also:
Local Underground Railroad Stop To Offer Special Tours On Juneteenth
Peter Wentz Farmstead Selected As National Underground Railroad Historic Site
Mayoral Musings: Juneteenth – This Weekend!
Montgomery County Declares 'Juneteenth' An Official Holiday
Hundreds Attend Juneteenth Solidarity March In Lansdale Early Friday Evening
