The township held its sixth annual Juneteenth event at Croft Farms on June 20, an event that included vendors, dancing and activities for kids.
A parade began with multiple organizations marching down Bortons Mill Road accompanied by drummers and dancers, including the Cherry Hill African American Civic Association (CHAACA), several Black sororities and fraternities, Royal Purple Majesties and the Girl Scouts of South New Jersey Troop 30077.
Township council president William Carter – grand marshal for the event – said in remarks that despite the issues the African American community faces today, the holiday is a reminder of what can be accomplished.
“As we celebrate today, we do so recognizing we live in a time where many people feel uncertainty about the future,” he noted. “Laws, programs and opportunities that have impacted our communities are being debated, challenged and in some cases outright dismantled.
“Yet, Juneteenth teaches us that hope is stronger than fear. That progress is possible when communities united in purpose can overcome even the greatest obstacles.”
After Carter’s speech and the singing of “Lift Every Voice,” Mayor David Fleisher welcomed guests to the township.
“There is a lot of debate around this country about who is and isn’t welcome in certain spaces,” he commented. “So I want to say here – and I want to say clearly – welcome to Cherry Hill. We work very hard every day with the partnership of groups like CHAACA, like our schools, like our library and the hundreds of millions of volunteers in our community to prove that government can work both competently and compassionately.”
A parade heads down Bortons Mill Road in the leadup to the township’s Juneteenth event.
Township council president William Carter told the crowd that “Juneteenth teaches us that hope is stronger than fear. That progress is possible when communities united in purpose can overcome even the greatest obstacles.”
Commissioner Jonathan Young – last year’s Juneteenth grand marshal and an African American – said he’s glad schools in Cherry Hill preserve Black history.
“So when we talk about erasing history, what are we talking about here?” he asked. “So you want to get rid of me? You want to get rid of first timers like our old president (Barack) Obama, or Bill (Carter) here, who’s our first African American council person in this town? This is what we want to do?
“We’re all immigrants.”
Young promised that as long as he’s in office, he’ll speak to everyone’s humanity.
“I promise every Black individual who looks just like me out there,” he remarked, “that as long as I have a platform, I will always speak for us. As long as I have a platform, I will always speak for humanity, no matter what color you are.”
CHAACA president Tina Truitt, who started the township’s Juneteenth celebration, addressed the enthusiasm of residents for the holiday.
“The community is supportive,” she explained. “The come out. And we like that. Because it’s not just a space just for Black people, it’s a space for all. Everyone’s welcome. There’s something for everyone to do. Children’s activities, pony rides, petting zoo coming soon, we have an inflatable basketball game in the back. We have crafts for the kids.
“So it’s something for everyone.”
Margaret Moon, who came to the event with her daughter, Janeen Missouri, and granddaughter, was attending the township’s Juneteenth event for the first time, though she’s been to celebrations in Voorhees, where her daughter now lives.
“It would disrespectful of me not to attend,” Moon observed. “I feel that for all the blood, the tears and the pains that were shared by my people, this is a time I can say I’m thankful they gave me the opportunities that I’ve been able to enjoy, that I would not have been able to without them.
“So I am standing on their shoulders benefiting from all their hard work.”
Missouri, a former township resident, said she appreciated the more “Afro-centric” approach of Juneteenth. Her mother – who’s lived in Cherry Hill for 40 years – liked what she saw.
“I will say, in all honesty, this one has more participation from vendors,” she pointed out, “and the flavor is a little bit more intense here … I’m just saying Cherry Hill, to me, has exceeded my expectations for what’s happening here. “Cherry Hill’s done a good job … This is the first one I’ve been to with Cherry Hill and I’m saying that I’m pleased with the outcome.
“I’m giving them their kudos.”
