Westfield Juneteenth Celebration Set For 2023

WESTFIELD, NJ - Looking for ways to recognize Juneteenth in Westfield? Look no further.

The Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Association of Westfield will be hosting a full-day Juneteenth celebration on Saturday, June 17, drawing inspiration from the theme
“Freedom-Inclusion-Community.”

Expect a 90-minute African American History Trolley Tour through Westfield at 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. with guides from the African American History Project, followed by an afternoon street party celebration from noon to 4 p.m. at the Westfield Community Center complete with a DJ, line dance lessons, games, face painting, food trucks, a reading of the 1865 decree finally enforcing the Emancipation Proclamation in Texas and words from The Rev. Jeremy Jinkins of The Presbyterian Church in Westfield.

Visitors will also be able to view a portion of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. pop-up museum in the community room.

The guided tour will cover 300 years of African American history in town, including Burial Grounds of The Presbyterian Church in Westfield, Fairview Cemetery, Brightwood Park and Westfield’s Black Professional Zone, including the homes of Zora Neale Hurston, Langston Hughes and Paul Robeson. Participants should meet at the Westfield Community Center for the tour.

Registration is required; tickets are $15 for adults and $5 for children. You can register here.

Juneteenth, which is short for June 19th, is a 156-year-old holiday that celebrates the emancipation of African Americans from slavery in the United States.

"Juneteenth today celebrates African-American freedom and achievement, while encouraging continuous self-development and respect for all cultures," according to Juneteenth.com in an explanation of the holiday.

On June 19, 1865, Union Gen. Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas, to inform enslaved African Americans that the Civil War was over and slavery had been abolished.

Granger publicly read General Order No. 3, which said: "The people of Texas are informed that, in accordance with a proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free."
Granger's announcement implemented the Emancipation Proclamation in Texas, more than 2-1/2 years after President Abraham Lincoln first issued it in 1863.

Initially, the presidential order caused little change in Texas due to the lack of Union troops to enforce it.

Read More: What Is Juneteenth? 5 Things To Know About The Holiday