SPRINGFIELD — A sea of people gathered inside City Hall on Juneteenth to not only celebrate the consequential holiday, but also to remember why it exists and why it is important to carry its legacy.

“Juneteenth is a day that’s commemorating freedom from slavery and invites all community members to reflect on our collective history,” said state Sen. Adam Gomez (D-Springfield) at the city’s commemoration of the holiday. “Juneteenth provides an opportunity to celebrate the rich culture and traditions, stories and contributions of Black Americans and other marginalized groups.”

Gomez was joined by Mayor Domenic Sarno, U.S. Rep. Richard Neal (D-Springfield), state Rep. Bud Williams (D-Springfield) as well as City Council and School Committee members for a speaking program inside City Hall and to raise a flag commemorating the holiday outside City Hall.

Juneteenth commemorates June 19, 1865, when the United States Army delivered the news to Galveston Bay, Texas, that all enslaved people were free.

In his remarks, Neal touched on the importance of remembering that history and Springfield’s role in serving as an important destination for freedom seekers and activists.

“I hope that all Americans celebrate this holiday that [former President] Joe Biden implemented and signed, but also in memory of what it was that many of your ancestors struggled through to get us to this day,” Neal said. “It was an uplifting, steep climb.”

Before reading a proclamation in recognition of the holiday, Sarno spoke of how proud he is of the Black community in Springfield and shared the importance of educating people about the significance of the day.

“Springfield is proud of each and every one of you in the Black community,” Sarno said. “You’ve made a big effect, not only in the city of Springfield, [but also] in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, the United States of America … it’s important that Juneteenth is recognized.”

Also in attendance at the ceremony was LaMar Cook, the Western Mass. deputy director of Gov. Maura Healey’s office, expanded on the history of the holiday by emphasizing the courage, discipline and sacrifice of the 180,000 former slaves who fought in the Union Army to help win the Civil War.

He honored the Black-owned businesses, HBCUs, elected officials and Springfield students representing the Black excellence that has surged since 1865.

“Let’s be clear, Juneteenth is not just a black holiday, it’s an American holiday,” Cook said. “Because freedom should never be a niche celebration.”

Williams, who filed the legislation that made Juneteenth a state holiday in 2020, encouraged residents to learn, remember and celebrate Juneteenth because “none of us are free until all of us are free.”

“There are many parts of our country where our Black history, African-American history is actively being distorted and even removed when instead it should be recognized, studied, and celebrated,” Williams said. “We were persistent in securing Juneteenth as an official holiday and we must come together to acknowledge and celebrate this significant history.”

Former Gov. Charlie Baker approved the Juneteenth holiday across the state in 2020, and Biden signed into law a bill establishing Juneteenth as a federal holiday on June 17, 2021.

Skip to content

On June 21, 2025, around 300 people gathered at Ivy Station to celebrate Juneteenth, the annual commemoration of the end of slavery in the U.S after the Civil War. The celebration featured 13 booths, ranging from graphic tee and vinyl record vendors to Lei’d Cookies, live jazz bands, and free plates of soul food from Dulan’s.

Council member Fred Puza acknowledged the historical weight of the occasion. “We’ve made undeniable progress since 1865,” he said, “but the struggle continues”—noting recent pushbacks against DEI programs and bans on books by Black authors.

Triston Ezidore, the first Black man elected to the Culver City school board, emphasized the personal significance of the day: “This event is really fun. It’s one of my favorite events every single year.”

The city also honored other Black leaders, including Dr. Daniel Lee, Culver City’s first African American mayor, and Yasmine-Imani McMorrin, its first Black woman mayor.

A walking timeline exhibit was placed throughout the space, tracing the Black American experience from 1619 to the present. One placard, titled “A Sundown Town, 1915–1940,” read:
“Culver City was a ‘sundown town’ that excluded Black and other non-White Americans from owning property in the city and even remaining in town after sunset. Those found in town after dark risked harassment and violence from the public and the police.”

One attendee, a teacher who has lived in Los Angeles for 34 years, was visibly moved. “I didn’t know that Culver City was a sundown town,” she said. “And I’ve been coming here for years!”

The event also spotlighted Black entrepreneurship. Nick Hill, who began designing music-themed T-shirts after being laid off in 2008, said his business was born when a friend walked into a record store wearing one of his shirts featuring Thelonious Monk, an African American composer. “The store owner said, ‘I want to sell that shirt.’” Today, Hill sells at events across the city, including the Central Avenue Jazz Festival.

Hill also appreciated the event’s soundtrack. Music floated through the air — songs like “Can We Talk” and “Sweet Thing”, performed live by BriJolie and Friends as well as the Top Shelf Brass Band tunes. “Sometimes it be annoying,” he joked. “I’d be talking and hear a song in the background and say like—I know that song. It’s like a dog and a squirrel.”

Connie Westfield, another vendor, sold vinyl records and graphic tees from her booth, Vintage Dawg. “A neighbor donated 100 records to me ten years ago—she was going to trash them,” Westfield said. “I did research and realized how valuable they were.” Her booth featured classic R&B and jazz artists like Aretha Franklin and Billie Holiday. She now sells at major events like Smorgasburg in Downtown LA’s Arts District.

A children’s booth offered books like Opal Lee, the story of the “Grandmother of Juneteenth.” At the booth next door, students from City Honors and Da Vinci Connect gave away T-shirts they designed with Soul Classics, featuring the Black Lives Matter fist, broken shackles, and the words: We Remain Free. Each student also received a free pair of black Adidas Superstars.

By the end of the afternoon, the line for Dulan’s soul food stretched more than 50 people deep.

But beyond the music, giveaways, and plates of mac and cheese, the day stood as a living tribute to generations who resisted, endured, and reimagined freedom. From the ancestors who survived slavery to those who migrated west during the Great Migration—and now to students designing shirts that say We Remain Free—Culver City’s Juneteenth celebration honored both the pain of the past and the possibility of the future.

Clara Carvalho

Photo courtesy Edgar Varela

Photo courtesy of Bronx Borough President Vanessa L. Gibson

In a moving ceremony on Wednesday, June 18, Bronx Borough President Vanessa L. Gibson led a Juneteenth Flag Raising at Lou Gehrig Plaza to honor the legacy of enslaved African Americans and their descendants, while calling for continued progress toward justice and equity.

Surrounded by community members, elected officials, and local advocates, Gibson raised the red, white and blue Juneteenth flag—a symbol of freedom, resilience, and renewal. The annual event served as both a celebration of emancipation and a solemn reminder of the enduring struggle for civil rights in America.

“Juneteenth is not just about history. It is about truth, healing, and progress,” Gibson said. “As we celebrate Juneteenth, we honor the strength and sacrifices of those that came before us and recommit ourselves to the ongoing fight for justice, equity, and opportunity. We must stand together as a community to uplift the next generation and ensure that every voice is heard, valued, and empowered.”

This year’s ceremony featured musical performances, spoken word, and remarks from local leaders on the importance of Juneteenth, which commemorates June 19, 1865—the day when enslaved people in Galveston, Texas, were finally informed of their freedom more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation.

The event also included a special recognition of Robert Hall, Tenant Association President for the Gun Hill Houses, for his longstanding advocacy and service to his community. Gibson praised Hall’s leadership as emblematic of the Juneteenth spirit: a tireless pursuit of justice, dignity, and collective empowerment.

In a reflection of ongoing social challenges, the program also acknowledged Gun Violence Awareness Month. Representatives from the anti-violence organization Guns Down Life Up spoke about their work to prevent gun violence and create safer neighborhoods across the Bronx, echoing the day’s themes of healing and resilience.

The BURG Family Reunion club on Saturday hosted its annual Juneteenth celebration at Ida Lee Park in Leesburg.

The club’s founder, Irvin Greene, gave opening remarks following a prayer by Pastor Tony Smith and a performance of Lift Every Voice by Victoria Norman. The event was capped off at 7 p.m. with closing remarks by Greene. 

The event featured live music, food trucks and stands for local businesses.

Musical acts included Live to Love Family, Members Only Band, Junkyard Band, Neff NUFsed and the Quiet Fire Soul Show. 

Hosted by the Van Cortlandt Park Alliance and the Bronx Arts Ensemble, the Juneteenth Jubilee on Thursday was the fifth annual for the two organizations and the country at large, commemorating the day when slaves in the U.S. were freed in 1865. While many already recognized the monumental day of liberation over the years, it wasn’t until President Biden signed a law marking June 19 as a federal holiday that celebrations became more widespread.

“Today we celebrate when we finally got to be free and when we were considered more than a percentage of a human,” said Judith Insell, executive director of the Bronx Arts Ensemble. “We have been humans all along and all of a sudden, we are being perceived in a very different way.”

Insell’s comment referenced the Three-Fifths compromise, when in 1787 the Constitutional Convention determined slaves only counted as three-fifths of a person for taxation purposes and representation in the House of Representatives.

Hosting the event adjacent to the Van Cortlandt House Museum and nearby an enslaved African burial ground was intentional and made the event all the more significant.

“Our first celebration was in [2021] in the wake of the George Floyd and things were very rough and at the time. NYC Parks was trying to do the right thing and rename different places in the park,” said Stephanie Ehrlich, executive director of the Van Cortlandt Park Alliance.

Olof Stevense Van Cortlandt, who was born in the Netherlands, was the first of the Van Cortlandt family to settle in New York—then known as New Amsterdam—in the early 1600s and was later followed by his relatives. The park pond, which was owned by Jacobus Van Cortlandt in the early 1700s and called Van Cortlandt Lake, was renamed in 2021 to Hester and Piero’s Mill Pond. Piero was an enslaved African miller who produced grain and lumber, Hester was his wife.

Jacobus’ son Frederick built the Van Cortlandt house in 1748, and it was completed a year later. Slaves worked the land and were buried on the grounds without headstones. In 2021, that too was renamed as the Enslaved African and Kingsbridge Burial Grounds.

A partnership with the Design Trust for Public Space will continue to transform Van Cortlandt Park with input from the community in what they are calling a “reimagining” with hopes of executing a plan by next year.

Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson, Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz and Councilman Eric Dinowitz were on hand for the festivities. And while they were joyful for the celebration, they also spoke at length about the hidden history of Blacks in America and emphasized that in order to look toward a bright future, we must first uncover the truth of our dark past.

Assemblyman Dinowitz said he was unaware of Juneteenth until he was elected to office, despite being an American history major in college.

“In order for us to move ahead as a country, in order for us to learn about mistakes that were made in the past, we have to know about our past,” he said to the crowd. “We have to know the full story and not just the sanitized versions that many of us were taught in schools.”

Centuries later, Black Americans continue to face deep-rooted disparities. According to 2023 data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Black women are three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than White women. In 2020, the CDC also reported that Black men had the lowest life expectancy of any demographic group in the U.S.

Struggles such as these served as inspiration for Roya Marsh. The poetry and creative writing teacher performed a series of poems, including “Blk Joy.” An excerpt reads:

“Antiracism means that you are willing to die for my kind of Black/that built a country they keep trying to legislate me out of/what good is writing poems about unborn when I have nieces and nephews and students/you know they are trying to shut down one prison to build four.”

Poet David Mills also read from his book about slavery in the Bronx titled, “How the Earth Answers.”

“I was oblivious to the Earth’s ebony algebra caked in my cleats,” he read on stage.

The event closed with a libations performance by students of the Harlem School of the Arts and led by their teacher, Elder Baba Don Eaton Babatunde.

“They’ve already begun,” he said as the sky brightened with lightning and thunder roared through the atmosphere.

“This offering of light and water to our ancestors, remembering them, honoring them, from all the pain and injustice they receive, keep them close to our hearts so that we may find a better life,” Babatunde read as he symbolically poured a pitcher of water to the ground.

In a perfectly timed moment of profound togetherness, the rain came down as people from the crowd shouted the names of their ancestors to the sounds of the drums.

Reach ET Rodriguez at etrodriguez317@gmail.com. For more coverage, follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram @bronxtimes

Elder Baba Don Eaton Babatunde performed a libations ceremony along with his students from the Harlem School of the Arts at this year’s Juneteenth celebration in Van Cortlandt Park.

Photo ET Rodriguez

Drums, gospel, and radical poetry nourished the ears; food from Voilá Afrique satisfied the belly; and Black pride uplifted the soul, as people gathered to celebrate Juneteenth in Van Cortlandt Park.

Hosted by the Van Cortlandt Park Alliance and the Bronx Arts Ensemble, the Juneteenth Jubilee on Thursday was the fifth annual for the two organizations and the country at large, commemorating the day when slaves in the U.S. were freed in 1865. While many already recognized the monumental day of liberation over the years, it wasn’t until President Biden signed a law marking June 19 as a federal holiday that celebrations became more widespread.

“Today we celebrate when we finally got to be free and when we were considered more than a percentage of a human,” said Judith Insell, executive director of the Bronx Arts Ensemble. “We have been humans all along and all of a sudden, we are being perceived in a very different way.”

Insell’s comment referenced the Three-Fifths compromise, when in 1787 the Constitutional Convention determined slaves only counted as three-fifths of a person for taxation purposes and representation in the House of Representatives.

Hosting the event adjacent to the Van Cortlandt House Museum and nearby an enslaved African burial ground was intentional and made the event all the more significant.

“Our first celebration was in [2021] in the wake of the George Floyd and things were very rough and at the time. NYC Parks was trying to do the right thing and rename different places in the park,” said Stephanie Ehrlich, executive director of the Van Cortlandt Park Alliance.

Olof Stevense Van Cortlandt, who was born in the Netherlands, was the first of the Van Cortlandt family to settle in New York—then known as New Amsterdam—in the early 1600s and was later followed by his relatives. The park pond, which was owned by Jacobus Van Cortlandt in the early 1700s and called Van Cortlandt Lake, was renamed in 2021 to Hester and Piero’s Mill Pond. Piero was an enslaved African miller who produced grain and lumber, Hester was his wife.

Jacobus’ son Frederick built the Van Cortlandt house in 1748, and it was completed a year later. Slaves worked the land and were buried on the grounds without headstones. In 2021, that too was renamed as the Enslaved African and Kingsbridge Burial Grounds.

A partnership with the Design Trust for Public Space will continue to transform Van Cortlandt Park with input from the community in what they are calling a “reimagining” with hopes of executing a plan by next year.

Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson, Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz and Councilman Eric Dinowitz were on hand for the festivities. And while they were joyful for the celebration, they also spoke at length about the hidden history of Blacks in America and emphasized that in order to look toward a bright future, we must first uncover the truth of our dark past.

Assemblyman Dinowitz said he was unaware of Juneteenth until he was elected to office, despite being an American history major in college.

“In order for us to move ahead as a country, in order for us to learn about mistakes that were made in the past, we have to know about our past,” he said to the crowd. “We have to know the full story and not just the sanitized versions that many of us were taught in schools.”

Centuries later, Black Americans continue to face deep-rooted disparities. According to 2023 data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Black women are three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than White women. In 2020, the CDC also reported that Black men had the lowest life expectancy of any demographic group in the U.S.

Struggles such as these served as inspiration for Roya Marsh. The poetry and creative writing teacher performed a series of poems, including “Blk Joy.” An excerpt reads:

“Antiracism means that you are willing to die for my kind of Black/that built a country they keep trying to legislate me out of/what good is writing poems about unborn when I have nieces and nephews and students/you know they are trying to shut down one prison to build four.”

Poet David Mills also read from his book about slavery in the Bronx titled, “How the Earth Answers.”

“I was oblivious to the Earth’s ebony algebra caked in my cleats,” he read on stage.

The event closed with a libations performance by students of the Harlem School of the Arts and led by their teacher, Elder Baba Don Eaton Babatunde.

“They’ve already begun,” he said as the sky brightened with lightning and thunder roared through the atmosphere.

“This offering of light and water to our ancestors, remembering them, honoring them, from all the pain and injustice they receive, keep them close to our hearts so that we may find a better life,” Babatunde read as he symbolically poured a pitcher of water to the ground.

In a perfectly timed moment of profound togetherness, the rain came down as people from the crowd shouted the names of their ancestors to the sounds of the drums.

---

Reach ET Rodriguez at etrodriguez317@gmail.com. For more coverage, follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram @bronxtimes

Eunice Haigler shows no signs of slowing down.

Now 74, the community activist held a “wazee-themed” Juneteenth celebration in partnership with the Fredericksburg Area Museum (FAM) this past Thursday in Fredericksburg’s Market Square.

Haigler said she felt it was important to honor the elders in the community, known as “wazee.” She has organized her annual Juneteenth event since 2015, long before Juneteenth became a federal holiday in 2021.

Juneteenth marks June 19, 1865, the day Union soldiers arrived in Galveston, Texas, and announced that all enslaved people were finally free — more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation had been signed. The day not only marks the end of slavery in the United States but also symbolizes the strength and resilience of Black communities in the face of injustice and delayed freedom.

Today, it is celebrated nationwide, honoring African American history, culture and the ongoing fight for true equality.

Mayor Kerry Devine delivered the welcoming speech, followed by a prayer from Pastor Hashmel Turner. Malik Johnson, Haigler’s nephew, served as emcee. Other guest speakers included U.S. Rep. Eugene Vindman (D-Fredericksburg) and Del. Joshua Cole of the 65th District, who gave a keynote speech on the role, responsibility and value of elders.

Several community members were honored for their past and ongoing service. Pastor Gary Holland, whom Haigler referred to as an “icon,” received an award for his long-standing dedication to the community.

Emani Nelson, Haigler’s great-granddaughter, was also recognized. A fourth grader reading at a 12th-grade level, Nelson has been a major inspiration in Haigler’s life.

Numerous elected officials acknowledged Haigler’s impact on the community. She received a series of community service resolution awards from Rep. Vindman, former Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine, and U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett.

Attendees were treated to theatrical performances by Two 5M Productions, a sector of Rosie Rogers Enterprises. Eleven-year-old Tracey Claiborne covered “A Change Is Gonna Come” by Sam Cooke. American singer and guitarist Gaye Adegbalola also performed several of her original recordings.

Fredericksburg City Public Schools Superintendent Marceline Catlett praised this year’s performances. She quoted Maya Angelou, saying, “We are the hopes and dreams of our ancestors. This celebration is priceless, and I commend Eunice and the community for keeping our legacy going.”

Haigler said she was especially moved by the jump rope performance by the Rebel Roses Social Club.

“They brought life to Juneteenth. Many of the Rebel Roses are 40 and up — it was very inspirational,” she said.

“I think the event helps people understand what Juneteenth is all about, not just the commercial aspect,” Haigler added. “It changes how people view the struggle. More and more people are understanding what African Americans went through. I’m trying to live the Juneteenth experience every day.”

Louis Durgado honored Haigler with a song titled “Color of History,” which debuted at the event and deeply inspired her. Haigler said she, Durgado, Jarvis Bailey and others are in partnership to further the celebration and education surrounding Juneteenth.

Legendary singer Marvin Gaye’s brother, Antwaun Gaye, also attended the celebration. He supported Haigler and signed copies of his new book.

“I just want to share my story — it will help many people, especially African Americans,” Gaye said. “Eunice has been doing this for a long time, and I was definitely going to support her. She’s like my big sister. Her love for others is a blessing — she’s always trying to help others, no matter who they are.”

Gaye also praised the event’s diversity.

“The demographic mix shows me the growing acknowledgement of this special day. It means a lot, especially in this polarizing time we’re living in. African American history is often hidden—or sometimes even washed away.”

Marvin Gaye’s first album, “What’s Going On,” touched on war and peace, police brutality, civil rights, environmental concerns, unity, and love. His brother Antwaun hopes to carry on that message, bringing peace and shedding light on the silent struggles people face.

Haigler saw Rosie Rogers of Two 5M Productions perform in Culpeper last year and was so impressed she booked the group for this year’s Juneteenth celebration. Rogers and her crew performed a stage script reading titled Juneteenth: Freedom Deferred but Not Denied.

The performance highlighted the history of Juneteenth and President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation, which paved the way for the end of slavery. Rogers said the audience was fully engaged.

“History was shared and received—hopefully they were educated and enlightened,” she added.

Haigler has established a strong coalition with FAM and Gaila Sims, who is the curator of African American history and vice president of programs and interpretation at the museum. Sims described her relationship with Haigler as “very close,” and the two worked together to bring the Juneteenth jubilee to downtown for a second year.

Sims said she is especially inspired by 92-year-old Ms. Cleo Coleman, who has portrayed Harriet Tubman at Haigler’s Juneteenth celebration since 2015.

Growing up in Texas, Sims often participated in Juneteenth celebrations.

“People should really think about those who were enslaved,” she said. “Those were people’s ancestors.”