The Palmyra-Riverton-Cinnaminson Juneteenth Celebration of Culture will be held from 4 to 8 p.m. on Thursday, June 19, at the Palmyra Community Center on West Broad Street.
New Year’s Eve on Dec. 31, 1862 was unlike any other for free and enslaved African Americans.
Known as Freedom’s Eve, the event saw residents gather at homes and churches in the river towns of Palmyra, Riverton and Cinnaminson – and all across the nation – eagerly awaiting the stroke of midnight. At 12 a.m., they celebrated a new dawn of freedom while ringing in 1863: The Emancipation Proclamation issued by President Abraham Lincoln went into effect, officially ending slavery in the U.S.
But the Civil War was still raging and the 13th Amendment freeing the slaves could not be formalized in states under Confederate control. As Union troops advanced from town to town, they would read the proclamation and free the slaves.
It was a long process that finally ended on June 19, 1885, when they reached Galveston, Texas, and announced that all enslaved people in the state were free.
“Initially, Juneteenth was celebrated in family and church-centered gatherings,” said Michelle Ray, a member of the Palmyra, Riverton and Cinnaminson Juneteenth Celebration Committee (PRCJCC). “Over time, the informal holiday evolved into annual pilgrimages to Galveston Bay by formerly enslaved individuals and their families.
“The celebrations spread across the South and became more commercialized in the 1920s and 1930s, often centering on food festivals.”
This year’s upcoming Juneteenth celebration for the river towns is on Thursday, June 19, from 4 to 8 p.m. at Chief Payton I. Flournoy Senior Memorial Park in Palmyra, at Cinnaminson Avenue and Broad Street. Rain date is Friday.
“Committee members hope to enlighten the public about the history of Juneteenth, the emancipation of enslaved people in the United States,” Ray explained.
Juneteenth became a federal holiday on June 17, 2021, and every year since, the PRCJCC has sponsored a celebration, rotating the location between the three towns. The main goals are to acknowledge those who fought and died for freedom in America and highlight the purpose of the holiday to preserve Black history now and in future generations
“It will continue to promise an event filled with rich cultural heritage and community spirit, with the fusion of tradition and innovation, catering to all ages,” Ray said, describing the holiday history as follows:
“Over the decades, many advocated the establishment of Juneteenth as a national holiday. In addition to activist and founder of the National Juneteenth Observance Foundation, Rev. Ronald V. Myers Sr., M.D. (1956–2018), Texan and community leader Opal Lee, whom many consider the Grandmother of Juneteenth, was a driving force in this movement.
“Lee knew the country needed – and wanted – the unity that a national celebration of slavery’s abolition would bring. She would walk two-and-a-half miles each Juneteenth to collect signatures and gather support nationwide for national recognition of the date.
Ray went on to say that after the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and other Black Americans at the hands of police in 2020, Lee held her annual walk, and signatures on her petition to make Juneteenth a national holiday totaled more than 1.5 million. The same year, Gov. Phil Murphy signed legislation that designated the third Friday in June as the state’s Juneteenth observance. In 2021, former President Joe Biden designated June 19 a federal holiday.
“Juneteenth was no longer a whisper in history,” Ray said.
The PRCJCC strives to educate all people and cultures on the reason Black Americans commemorate the economic, mental, physical and spiritual freedom of formerly enslaved people, according to Ray. The celebrations include music/dance (jubilation), vendors (economic empowerment), re-enactments/presentations (education), local resource organizations (community) and soul food (tradition).
Black and Indigenous People of Color (BIPOC) vendors will sell their handcrafted soaps, candles, clothing and more on Juneteenth. The PRCJCC intentionally highlights Black business owners, as financial freedom was and remains a significant factor in the building of African American generational wealth, Ray said.
Different cuisines include soul, Caribbean and vegan food options from Fish Fry Wright, Sassa Biene Caribbean Cuisine and Rita’s Water Ice. Activities to make people aware of the challenges Black Americans continue to face include an educational puppet show from Nettie, Nana & Friends, a performance by the Re-Enactors of Burlington County and local students explaining the significance of the official Juneteenth Flag.
Local organizations such as the Southern Burlington County Chapter of the NAACP will provide information on community needs and voter registration applications, the University of Pennsylvania will offer free health screenings and a local church will provide free, healthy-food options. Entertainment will include Eddie Rosado, an Afro-Latino drummer, dance and drill routines from Amped to Dance and Konglomerate Kweens and funky grooves from the Ain’t Nothing But a Party Band.
Ray said a key part of the event will be the Land and Ancestral Labor Acknowledgement, a poignant reminder of the contributions and sacrifices of people of color, specifically African Americans, in the development of the region. Local officials will include Palmyra Mayor Gina Tait, Riverton Mayor Jim Quinn and Cinnaminson Mayor Stephanie Kravl.
The PRC Juneteenth Celebration Committee invites everyone to bring a lawn chair or picnic blanket and immerse themselves in festivities that are not only a celebration, but a call to action, Ray observed.
The Juneteenth committee always seeks volunteers; contact prcjuneteenthcelebration@gmail.com.
