Juneteenth
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The CommUnity Zone is proud to partner with several organizations including The Griot Institute at of Bucknell, Bucknell Equity & Inclusive Excellence, Lewisburg Downtown Partnership and Lewisburg Neighborhoods to celebrate Juneteenth this year.
June 19th, 4-8pm here in Lewisburg, PA at Hufnagle Park This years theme is Celebrate Our Ancestors, Elevate Our Youth, Liberate Our Minds Stay tuned for details! |
Juneteenth commemorates the end of slavery in the United States, and is a day of joy, celebration, and re-commitment to the values of freedom and building a good community for all. This year's event theme is "Strengthening Our Roots to Empower Future Generations." The focus will be centered on children and young people, shining a spotlight on Black youth and presenting scholarships to high school and college graduates.
EVERYONE of all races, backgrounds, religions, and ideologies is encouraged and invited to come out and celebrate. The day will start with a Prayer Vigil and Walk starting at Freedom Road at 11 AM, advancing to Brandon Park where the festivities will begin at noon. Vendors and food trucks will be present, along with many activities for all to enjoy, including yoga, meditation, drumming, a live band, music, dance, spoken word, and so much more! This is an opportunity to show support for the active African American community in central Pennsylvania. When we all come together to support one another - all races and backgrounds - our communities become stronger, and we feel great pride in all our country stands for.
EVERYONE of all races, backgrounds, religions, and ideologies is encouraged and invited to come out and celebrate. The day will start with a Prayer Vigil and Walk starting at Freedom Road at 11 AM, advancing to Brandon Park where the festivities will begin at noon. Vendors and food trucks will be present, along with many activities for all to enjoy, including yoga, meditation, drumming, a live band, music, dance, spoken word, and so much more! This is an opportunity to show support for the active African American community in central Pennsylvania. When we all come together to support one another - all races and backgrounds - our communities become stronger, and we feel great pride in all our country stands for.
Past Juneteenth Events:
JUNETEENTH 2022 - Event Report
The Lycoming Tri-County NAACP and Lewisburg CommUnity Zone Juneteenth event held on Saturday, June 17, 2022, was a success, including a donor reception at the Community Arts Center in Williamsport the Wednesday before, attended by 30 people. The schedule for the day of June 17, 2022, proceeded as planned, with a reprise of the successful Prayer Meeting at Freedom Road Cemetery in the morning and a Peace Walk led from there through the Browntown neighborhoods to Brandon Park. At the park, there were educational displays, food booths, and craft vendors as well as four hours of performance and engagement activities from the stage. Time Stage Events 12 Welcome/Opening Remarks (Mayor Slaughter, Commissioner Mirabito) 12:10 Music – “Lift Every Voice and Sing” and more (Tamaka Carter, JoAnne Henry) 12:30 Trot Fitness Interactive Demo (Nisan Trotter) 1 Spoken Word Interlude (Lisa E. Williams MC) 1:30 Umoja Pan-African Dance Performance (Lycoming College-tied dancers) 2 Honoring Our Community (Lisa E. Williams MC) 2:15 Community Activation and Engagement (Sharee Clark) 2:30 Line Dance 2:50 Spoken Word Interlude (Lisa E. Williams MC) 3:20 Interactive Pan-African Drum Circle (Jordan Golding/Umoja) 3:45 In Memoriam 3:55 Guided Meditation (Melodie Shaw) Local leaders from the African-American community, in particular NAACP Chapter President Lisa E. Williams and past-President Melodie Carter-Shaw, led the stage program and shared their wisdom and insights throughout the day, including taking the opportunity to highlight historical contributions of community members who went before. In keeping with the theme of this year’s event – Juneteenth: Living Free & Healthy – information was available about financial literacy training, social services, and various wellness opportunities. More than 50 people took part in the group fitness mini-training and more danced and sang along with the performers throughout the afternoon. In addition, there were prayer, meditation, and visualization interludes. Health is front and center for a city and region hit hard by COVID in recent years. The entire day was chronicled in photos by Jetta Harrison from Meet My Melanin. Pictures are available for review online in the Meet My Melanin album: Meet My Melanin (email required for access) The core organizing group for this year’s event was expanded to incorporate ongoing engagement from STEP AmeriCorps and the Early Learning Center as well as early outreach to supporting organizations like the YWCA, UPMC, and the Lycoming County United Way. It is estimated that 60 people were involved in making the event happen from different organizations and faith groups. The core group of 8 people were responsible for overall coordination and many others ran individual portions of the program or helped with community safety or publicity. Over the course of the day approximately 500 people came from around the city and around the region and enjoyed the community celebration. It was a day of reflection, community, and unity. A significant effort was made this year to emphasize that Juneteenth is a critical element of American history, of great importance for all who live here, not just those of African-American heritage.
JUNETEENTH 2022 - Event Report
The Lycoming Tri-County NAACP and Lewisburg CommUnity Zone Juneteenth event held on Saturday, June 17, 2022, was a success, including a donor reception at the Community Arts Center in Williamsport the Wednesday before, attended by 30 people. The schedule for the day of June 17, 2022, proceeded as planned, with a reprise of the successful Prayer Meeting at Freedom Road Cemetery in the morning and a Peace Walk led from there through the Browntown neighborhoods to Brandon Park. At the park, there were educational displays, food booths, and craft vendors as well as four hours of performance and engagement activities from the stage. Time Stage Events 12 Welcome/Opening Remarks (Mayor Slaughter, Commissioner Mirabito) 12:10 Music – “Lift Every Voice and Sing” and more (Tamaka Carter, JoAnne Henry) 12:30 Trot Fitness Interactive Demo (Nisan Trotter) 1 Spoken Word Interlude (Lisa E. Williams MC) 1:30 Umoja Pan-African Dance Performance (Lycoming College-tied dancers) 2 Honoring Our Community (Lisa E. Williams MC) 2:15 Community Activation and Engagement (Sharee Clark) 2:30 Line Dance 2:50 Spoken Word Interlude (Lisa E. Williams MC) 3:20 Interactive Pan-African Drum Circle (Jordan Golding/Umoja) 3:45 In Memoriam 3:55 Guided Meditation (Melodie Shaw) Local leaders from the African-American community, in particular NAACP Chapter President Lisa E. Williams and past-President Melodie Carter-Shaw, led the stage program and shared their wisdom and insights throughout the day, including taking the opportunity to highlight historical contributions of community members who went before. In keeping with the theme of this year’s event – Juneteenth: Living Free & Healthy – information was available about financial literacy training, social services, and various wellness opportunities. More than 50 people took part in the group fitness mini-training and more danced and sang along with the performers throughout the afternoon. In addition, there were prayer, meditation, and visualization interludes. Health is front and center for a city and region hit hard by COVID in recent years. The entire day was chronicled in photos by Jetta Harrison from Meet My Melanin. Pictures are available for review online in the Meet My Melanin album: Meet My Melanin (email required for access) The core organizing group for this year’s event was expanded to incorporate ongoing engagement from STEP AmeriCorps and the Early Learning Center as well as early outreach to supporting organizations like the YWCA, UPMC, and the Lycoming County United Way. It is estimated that 60 people were involved in making the event happen from different organizations and faith groups. The core group of 8 people were responsible for overall coordination and many others ran individual portions of the program or helped with community safety or publicity. Over the course of the day approximately 500 people came from around the city and around the region and enjoyed the community celebration. It was a day of reflection, community, and unity. A significant effort was made this year to emphasize that Juneteenth is a critical element of American history, of great importance for all who live here, not just those of African-American heritage.