A steady rain fell throughout the day on Saturday, but it didn’t dampen the spirits of the community members who gathered in downtown State College to celebrate Juneteenth.
“That’s OK, it’s going to water the seeds that we plant here today,” Mayor Ezra Nanes said.
A block party held throughout the afternoon on South Fraser Street and the Martin Luther King Jr. Plaza marked the borough’s sixth annual Juneteenth event. The state and national holiday celebrates the end of slavery in the United States and commemorates when Union troops arrived in Galveston, Texas on June 19, 1865 to inform the quarter-million enslaved people in the former Confederacy’s westernmost state of their freedom, two years after the Emancipation Proclamation.
The theme for this year’s Juneteenth celebration in State College is “Our Freedom, Our Fight, Our Future,” which serves as “a call, a reminder and a commitment,” said Chiluvya Zulu, the borough’s director of diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging and co-chair of the Juneteenth planning committee.
“Our freedom is hard-earned and hard fought. It was demanded by those who believed in the dignity of every human being,” Zulu said. “Our fight continues. We keep marching, speaking truth, building and believing, because liberty without equality is unfinished. …Our future is being written right now by the leaders, the artists, the activists, the educators and the children in this very crowd. It is being shaped by how we choose to stand up for one another, not just today, but every day.”
Pastor Stephen Mariner said in his opening prayer that it is important to remember the sacrifices of those who have fought for that freedom.
“The journey of freedom and to freedom has not been without immense sacrifice on the part of those who believe it was and is their God-given right to live free of the bondage of their oppressor,” Mariner said. “We will also remember to honor the sacrifices of our ancestors who fought to see this day with everything they had. We will remember how some had to fight on the front lines while others fought behind the scenes. Some fought in the courtroom while others fought in the classroom. Some fought while walking in the streets while others fought sitting peacefully in restaurants.
“We want to remember so that our children will never forget.”
Saturday’s event was a celebration of history and culture, with music and dance performances, poetry, food and art.
In addition to local performers, the Marching Cobras drumline and dance group from New York returned to open the festivities with dynamic routines and vibrant music. The afternoon also featured two headlining acts: Brencore Allstars, a tribute act performing soul and Motown hits and Gabby Samone, a soul and R&B artist who also performed “Lift Every Voice and Sing” at the start of the afternoon.
The local Juneteenth celebration was founded by the State College Chapter of the NAACP and is hosted with the State College Borough, the Center for Performing Arts at Penn State and the Happy Valley Adventure Bureau.
Nanes said he is proud to see how State College’s Juneteenth commemoration has continued to grow since it was first held in 2020.
“I love seeing this celebration growing in State College,” Nanes said. “Juneteenth gives me pride in this community. This is who we are. Today, we remember our nation’s history. We let it flow through us as we honor African-American life, culture and the profound ways they shape our community here in State College.”
The celebration kicked off on Friday night with the opening of an art exhibition at Woskob Family Gallery, 146 S. Allen St., on display through July 31. Based on this year’s Juneteenth theme, it features works in a variety of media by local, national and international artists expressing the ideas of freedom, unity, peace and justice and reflecting the importance of generational strength.
“In these challenging times, honoring the strength of our ancestors, respecting the many challenges they faced, and using that power as energy to move forward is more important than ever—to our daily lives and to the creative process,” says Grace Hampton, co-founder and chair of the Juneteenth Arts Exhibition Committee. “Today more than ever, the arts are vital to showcasing our history and to ensuring it continues to be recognized as a vital part of this country’s complete history.”
