Juneteenth is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the end of slavery in the United
States. It honors the emancipation of enslaved African Americans in the United States on June 19, 1866.
Juneteenth was recognized as a federal holiday in 2021. It is also called Emancipation Day and Freedom Day. The Emancipation Proclamation was issued by President Abraham Lincoln on Sept. 22, 1862 and went into effect on Jan. 1, 1863. However, slaves were not set free in the South’s Confederacy until the North’s Union Army arrived in Galveston, Texas, on June 18, 1865. The next day, Gen. Gordon Granger announced that slaves in Texas were free by order of the President of the United States.
The first Juneteenth celebration took place the very next year. Celebrations of the day include parades, marches and barbecues. Many gather for ceremonies that include public service awards, prayer and the raising of the Juneteenth Flag of Freedom. The flag is half red and half blue with a star in the middle.
Juneteenth also celebrates African American culture.
As the late Congressman John Lewis righteously stated, “You must never ever give up. We must keep the faith because we are one people. We all live in the same house, the American house.” On June 17, 2021, at the signing of the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act, President Joe Biden said, “Great nations don’t ignore their most painful moments. They don’t ignore those moments of the past. They embrace them.
“Great nations don’t walk away,” he added. “We come to terms with the mistakes
we made. And in remembering those moments, we begin to heal and grow stronger.”
The Voorhees Cultural and Diversity Committee will host is Juneteenth celebration on Saturday, June
21, from 1 to 4 p.m. at Connolly Park. Enjoy music, performances, arts and crafts, food trucks and much
more. For more information, please contact Jennifer Branch Stewart at (609) 941-9055. Let us continue with our commitment to equality and inclusivity. There is still much work to do.
Summer hours for town hall will be in effect through Tuesday, Sept. 2. Township offices will be open Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and closed on Friday.
The Voorhees 2025 summer concert series at Connolly Park is back. Come out with your chairs and blankets and enjoy these great free shows, all beginning at 7 p.m. The first show is on Thursday, June 26, and will feature The FM Band. The second show is on Thursday, July 17, featuring Tramps Like Us, a Bruce Springsteen tribute band. On Thursday, Aug. 21, the Beat Tells will entertain the audience with their Tribute to the Beatles.
The shows will be even more enjoyable with a mobile bar from Dooney’s Pub in Voorhees and a variety of food trucks. For more information, visit voorheesnj.com, the township Facebook page or call the show hotline at (856) 882-SHOW.
Voorhees Township is once again partnering with Morey’s Piers to offer discounted tickets for
its amusement piers on the Wildwood boardwalk. Tickets for both residents and non-residents may be obtained in person from the office of the township clerk, where hours now until Thursday,
Aug. 28, are Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
