Juneteenth Celebration In Summit Will Feature Live Music, Films + More

SUMMIT, NJ — In honor of Juneteenth coming up next week, Summit will celebrate Black history in an evening-long event on Friday, June 17.

Juneteenth is a federal holiday celebrated on June 19 to commemorate the emancipation of enslaved people in the U.S. The holiday was first celebrated in Texas, where on June 19, 1985, slaves were declared free under the terms of the 1862 Emancipation Proclamation.

Summit's Juneteenth celebration will begin at 4:45 p.m. at the Village Green with a "liberation march" to Summit Family Aquatic Center at 100 Ashwood Avenue.

According to Summit Community Programs, the march is symbolic of black liberation marches, and the celebration at the Aquatic Center represents the "desegregation of facilities, particularly at beaches and pools, where black citizens experienced segregation and hate crimes."

In addition, the event will include a flag raising ceremony, which will include a prayer and performance of the Black national anthem, as well as free swimming at the Aquatic Center, a "Black Panther" movie screening, a Black-owned business fair, DJ music and entertainment, Summit's Black history display, special performances and more.

The Summit High School Black Student Union will also present a student-produced movie before the film screening "Black Panther" at dark.

The free event will go until 10 p.m. on Friday.

Those interested in taking part in the Black-owned business fair are encouraged to contact dguidajr@cityofsummit.org.

The planning committee for this event includes the City of Summit, Summit Area YMCA, Fountain Baptist Church, Summit Interfaith Council, Tri-City NAACP and Summit High School Black Student Union.

For more information, visit www.summitcommunityprograms.com.