Town Of Rye Honors Juneteenth With Commemoration And Day Of Service

TOWN OF RYE, NY — The Town of Rye, which is home to one of the area’s most important Black History sites, the Rye African-American Cemetery, will once again be holding its annual event of service and spoken word at the cemetery, on Saturday.

A commemoration and speeches will begin at 10 a.m., followed by a day of service beautifying the African-American cemetery, from 10:45 a.m. - 12:15 p.m. The rain date will be June 24.

The Town of Rye says that this year’s Juneteenth commemoration will feature lessons in history from area experts and poignant perspectives from descendants of the many heroes interred within. It will be an occasion to pay homage to the experiences of local Black emigrants and citizens over the course of the past 200 years.

The African-American Cemetery is located at 215 North Street, in the Greenwood Union Cemetery.

Organizers are stressing the importance of dressing appropriately, in layers if needed, with thick socks and closed-toe shoes. It is also highly recommended that participants wear outdoor work gloves and bring any of the following items with them to help with clean-up work:

• Rakes
• Shovels
• Outdoor Broom

Children under the age of 14 must be accompanied by an adult.

Registration can be done here.

If you need a service form filled out, you can email it to Councilperson Pam Jaffee at this email address.‍