Juneteenth Celebrations

WHAT TO THE SLAVE IS THE FOURTH OF JULY?

Oration, Delivered in Corinthian Hall, Rochester by Frederick Douglass, July 5, 1852

"Mr. President, Friends and Fellow Citizens:

He who could address this audience without a quailing sensation, has stronger nerves than I have. I do not remember ever to have appeared as a speaker before any assembly more strikingly, nor with greater distrust of my ability, than I do this day. A feeling has crept over me, quite unfavorable to the exercise of my limited powers of speech. The task before me is one which requires much previous thought and study for its proper performance. I know that apologies of this sort are generally considered flat and unmeaning. I trust, however, that mine will not be so considered. Should I seem at ease, my appearance would much misrepresent me. The little experience I have had in addressing public meetings, in country schoolhouses, avails me nothing on the present occasion."

In Jan. 1863 President Abraham Lincoln issued the actual Proclamation, which declared a formal end to slavery in the United States. However, change was not instant after the proclamation. Nearly two and a half years later, on June 19th, 1865, the enslaved African Americans of Galveston, Texas got the news by way of the Union army troops that freedom had come at last.

Juneteenth is the celebration of a new beginning and the death of a horrible inhuman existence. The hope and belief in the potential of a better future gave birth.

Yet the end of Reconstruction and the dawn of Jim Crow crushed that possibly for nearly a century, until the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

America Made Lady Liberty a Hypocrite

In 1865, Édouard de Laboulaye, "Father of the Statue of Liberty," proposed creating a monument for the United States. As the president of the French Anti-Slavery Society, de Laboulaye believed that the passage of the 13th Amendment (abolishing slavery in the U.S., 1865) was a milestone and it proved that justice and liberty for all was possible.

Too often we hear, “This is not who we are. We are better than this.” The 2nd part of this statement is aspirational. The 1st part raises the question, "If this is not who we are, then who are we?" Civil Rights lawyer Jeffery Robinson

the who we are project

Feb. 1, 1901 - May 22, 1967

James Mercer Langston- Hughes

was a central figure in the Harlem Renaissance.

He sought to honestly portray the joys and hardships of working-class black lives, avoiding both sentimental idealization and negative stereotypes.

celebrate 365

WE ARE THE NAACP!

Established in 1919 we continue to fight to achieve equity, political rights and social inclusion by advancing policies and practices that expand human and civil rights.

In 2025, America finds itself in the midst of a vicious backlash against human rights, racial and social justice, once again.

The words of Fannie Lou Hamer remain true,

"We are not free until everyone is free".

We honor Juneteenth everyday with the work we do. Clearly our work is far from done

Everyday we continue to fight for what's right.

Juneteenth is much more than one day! We celebrate our accomplishments, our history and our truths everyday of the year!

The celebration and recognition of

Juneteenth represents a mindset of continued courage, resilience, unwavering faith and hope in the possibility of a better future.

Witness the reenactment of this historic event, join us at Bethel AME Church, then join us for our annual Flag Raising and Recognition Ceremony.

Celebrate everyday with us! Celebrate 365!

The Right To Read

Through personal anecdotes from Weaver, insights from a dedicated teacher, and narratives of two American families, 'THE RIGHT TO READ' delves deep into the battle to equip our youngest generation with the fundamental skill essential for lifelong success: the ability to read.

Start watching with your public library card or university login.

Don't have a library card perhaps it's time to get one.

Watch The Right To Read via Kanopy, available through your library.

We can make a difference

On Juneteenth learn about our Celebrate 365 events, beginning with our book drive, in collaboration with the Oscar Lasko YMCA. Each month join us as we engage in dialogue, experiences and interaction to help provide resources and opportunities to create positive and healthy growth in our communities.

The importance and history of Juneteenth is vital to our healing as a community and as a nation.

"Lift Every Voice and Sing"

Often referred to as The Black National Anthem," Lift Every Voice and Sing was a hymn written as a poem by NAACP leader James Weldon Johnson in 1900. His brother, John Rosamond Johnson (1873-1954), composed the music for the lyrics.

A choir of 500 schoolchildren at the segregated Stanton School, where James Weldon Johnson was principal, first performed the song in public in Jacksonville, Florida to celebrate President Abraham Lincoln's birthday.

At the turn of the 20th century, Johnson's lyrics eloquently captured the solemn yet hopeful appeal for the liberty of Black Americans.

Set against the religious invocation of God and the promise of freedom, the song was later adopted by NAACP and prominently used as a rallying cry during the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s.

NAACP - The Black National Anthem

REFLECTION

In 2016, at the age of 89, former teacher and lifelong activist Opal Lee walked 1,400 miles from her home in Fort Worth, Texas, to Washington, D.C., to get Juneteenth recognized as a national holiday.”

Why all Americans should celebrate Juneteenth.

“We have simply got to make people aware that none of us are free until we’re all free, and we aren’t free yet.” Opal Lee

Why Juneteenth Matters by Shennette Garrett-Scott

“When peace come they read the ’Mancipation law to the cullud people. [The freed slaves] spent that night singin’ and shoutin’.

They wasn’t slaves no more.”

Hundreds of enslaved people work in the fields, taverns, forges, and mills throughout the county, but a growing enslaved population in the Caribbean opened new export markets for Chester County wheat and flour. In 1780 the Pennsylvania General Assembly passed the Gradual Abolition Act, but this early attempt to end slavery in Pennsylvania left a system in place that ensured it would continue well into the 19th century. Jacob Glasgow personally experienced the horrors of slavery firsthand—first as an enslaved man pursuing freedom, and second as a loving father and husband trying to navigate a legal system designed to protect the interest of the Hood family, who were the enslavers of his wife Sall. In 1803 Glasgow sued Samuel Hood over a broken contract. This was a bold act for a man who—just a few years earlier—had been inventoried as personal property. Glasgow’s perseverance and determination did not go unnoticed by the ensuing generations of children and grandchildren who shared his surname. This is a story of slavery in Chester County as told through the experience of Jacob Glasgow.

Pan African Flag-1920

The Black American Heritage Flag-1967

The Pan-African flag was created in 1920 by UNIA members, including Marcus Garvey, to represent people of the African Diaspora & to symbolize black liberation in the United States.

The Black American Heritage Flag-1967

Also known as the African-American Heritage Flag was created in 1967 by Melvin Charles and Gleason T. Jackson. The flag is an ethnic flag that represents the culture and history of African-American people.