New Jersey Towns Get Ready for Juneteenth Celebrations

Towns across New Jersey plan to mark the end of U.S. slavery with Juneteenth events this June. The day became a federal holiday in 2021, marking the historic moment when Major General Gordon Granger announced freedom in Galveston, Texas, on June 19, 1865.

At the Bucky James Center on Wilbur Ray Avenue, Long Branch kicks off its fourth yearly gathering on June 18, running from 5 to 8 p.m. The next day, Ocean County Library's Toms River site hosts "Celebration of Juneteenth: Resilience, Courage and Freedom" from morning till mid-afternoon.

A joint celebration unites Asbury Park with Neptune Township on June 21. Starting at noon, marchers will move from Midtown Commons Park through West Lake and Springwood Avenue. The festivities continue at Springwood Park until 5 p.m.

"Juneteenth becomes a way to celebrate the greatness," said Semaj Y. Vanzant Sr., pastor of Encounter Christ Global Fellowship, to the Asbury Park Press.

Downtown Freehold saw the Monmouth County Diversity Alliance's fourth Juneteenth Festival on June 8. The state first noticed this day in 2004, with Governor Phil Murphy later making it an official state holiday in 2020, set for June's third Friday.

People know this day by many names: Emancipation Day, Freedom Day, Jubilee Day, and Black Independence Day. This milestone came two and a half years after President Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863.

The events mix food stands with music and history talks. Organizers want everyone, from all parts of town, to join in and learn about this key piece of America's past.