Juneteenth

A voice for the African American community in Riverhead is non-existent. No longer is there a Lion in Judah, a courageous voice to speak for the voiceless. Many profess to take on that challenge but when it comes time to speak truth to power, when it comes time to challenge the powers that be…….all you hear is utter silence.

Community members gathered at the Riverhead Free Library on Saturday to celebrate Juneteenth, the holiday commemorating the end of slavery in the United States, with singing, dancing and a keynote speech on freedom by former Aquebogue Elementary School assistant principal, Vanessa Williams.

Today marks the official observance of Juneteenth, the anniversary of the day in 1865 when Union General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas to to read aloud the Emancipation Proclamation — two months after the Confederacy had surrendered and two-and-a-half years after the Emancipation Proclamation took effect on Jan. 1, 1863, freeing slaves throughout the United States.

Pulaski Street School and the East End Voter Coalition celebrated Juneteenth Friday with a presentation of the winning essays in the annual Juneteenth essay contest.

Editorial: Juneteenth celebrates the end of slavery in America. It's an important day to remember and acknowledge. So why was Riverhead one of the few towns in the region that wasn't formally acknowledging the federal and state holiday? And where was the outrage among community leaders? We think this is part of a larger pattern in Riverhead. And it's troubling.

Riverhead Town officials have decided to observe Juneteenth by closing Town Hall on Monday. Earlier this week officials said town offices would be open because the holiday was not in existing union contracts.

Riverhead will celebrate Juneteenth this year over the weekend with events hosted by community organizations and the Suffolk Theater.

Speaking to children at Pulaski Street Elementary School at a program commemorating Juneteenth Wednesday, East End Voters Coalition co-chair Robert Brown reflects on the meaning of Juneteenth and the importance of remembering and understanding history.

Juneteenth is now an official public holiday in New York State. Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed a bill into law this week designating June 19 — Juneteenth — a holiday commemorating African American Emancipation Day.

Riverhead Charter School students and their families marched with teachers, school administrators and board members in downtown Riverhead today, commemorating Juneteenth and demanding justice for black Americans.