County’s Juneteenth celebration aims to educate
NEWTOWN » The county’s first Juneteenth celebration was held at the Delaware County Veterans Memorial Friday, with a focus on education and celebration.
“On this hollowed moment, let us be reminded of our scared memorial Juneteenth, our freedom’s bedrock on which we stand as fellow citizens.” With that, Rich Blye, chairman of Juneteenth Artistic Collaborative Experience, opened the event, which was planned with the assistance of another county grassroots organization, Taylor Made Vets.
Bye said the goal of the celebration included remembering the day, memorializing ancestors, education and celebrating black history in America.
“Once we start realizing that the perspective of African Americans is American history, then we can celebrate the other holidays together,” said Blye.
Pastor Nate Goodson of the Prayer Chapel Church of God and Christ in Upper Darby opened the celebration with a prayer.
“We can’t forget the protests that have been going on in the country as a result of the death of George Floyd. But isn’t it a great thing we can all come together and just celebrate this wonderful day, in spite of all of the negativity that has been going around?” said Goodson. “Bless your name for giving us the victory and freedom over slavery. We in gratitude unite all of our hearts to reflect on where you have brought us. As we enter this Juneteenth holiday celebration, let us remember all of our ancestors who longed to see this day. Amen.”
With education a main theme of the day, members of the Third Regiment Infantry, United States Colored Troops Civil War reenactors presented an excellent explanation of the history of the Civil War, much of it not covered in school textbooks. They touched on the displacement of native tribes, the harvesting of crops such as tobacco and cotton which relied on slave labor, and how the nation’s first presidents came from both southern and northern states.
“Pennsylvania was in it in the beginning, because
we had slavery in Pennsylvania. Don’t let those Quakers try to fool you. When William Penn came here, one of the first things he did was buy Africans so he could clear Philadelphia downtown. So yes, slavery was here in Pennsylvania too,” said re-enactor Joseph Becton.
Becton spoke about the 3/5th clause in the Constitution which counted only three of every five enslaved people to give slave-holding states stronger representation while still denying the slaves their freedom. As the nation grew, the north and south reached agreements such as the Missouri Compromise, which required one southern slave state to join the nation along with each union state.
“Power stayed with those who owned slaves,” said Becton. “Power, money, land and finally freedom for each one there was slavery.”
He then focused on freedom. “Africans like me wanted to be free. Do you think we cared what flag it was? It could have been St. Andrew’s flag. We didn’t care what flag it was. We wanted freedom,” Becton said.
The desire to be free is what caused nearly 11,000 black soldiers to join the first federal training facility for colored troops in the north. It was located on land in Cheltenham Township owned by the son-inlaw of the abolitionist Lucretia Mott. That camp is what the Third Regiment re-enactors based their beginnings on 30 years ago.
Re-enactor Larry Harris pointed out that the Emancipation Proclamation didn’t free all slaves, only those in southern states that were in rebellion. He then read General Order Number Three. First read in Galveston, Texas, on June 19, 1865, it finally told the enslaved people of Texas they were free. That was the origin of Juneteenth.
Speaker Muhammad Abduraheem called on those present to serve one another and to band together as a family.
“If we don’t band together, there are going to be some problems, meaning for mankind,” said Abduraheem. “I grew up in a time where if my neighbor had food, I had food. Service is what I built my life on, not just yourself but to mankind.”
Griffin Miller sang an awesome rendition of the Negro National Anthem, “Lift Every Voice and Sing.”
Former Upper Darby mayor Tom Micozzie was presented with a lifetime achievement award for his support of the Juneteenth celebration. During his tenure, he was instrumental for recognizing it in the township.
A number of artists read their poetry, including Eboni Ferguson of Lansdowne who read two poems focusing on homeless veterans, centering on our homeless heroes and inspiring black women.
Jo Ann Hodges lead those in attendance in a recitation of the Ebony and Ivory Challenge whose goal is to demonstrate the importance of equality and reduce the amount of racism in our society.
Frank Ross came from Cleveland, Ohio, to teach the African-American Grand March to attendees. It was first performed at Juneteenth in 1865, Ross said.
Dr. Faruq T. Iman spoke about black history.
“It started hundreds of millions ago in Africa. Before there was America, there was Africa. Before there was Europe, there was Africa,” said Iman. “We populated the world. We were the very first people to walk on the face of this earth. We taught the world how to read, how to write, how to navigate, how to farm, how to look at the stars, and yes, what it means to be human.”
The day ended with Army veteran Jimmy Batts playing “Taps” in memory of all fallen soldiers, slaves and people who have suffered violence.
This wasn’t the only celebration in the county for Juneteenth. Friday evening, Chester hosted a fireworks display over the city to honor the holiday.