“By celebrating Juneteenth, we acknowledge our past while keeping an eye toward our shared future,” is the way Somerset County Commissioner Director Shanel Y. Robinson explains it. “Accepting our country’s history doesn’t mean we are stuck in the past. We as a community are smarter and more resilient when we take advantage of our diversity and work together to build a better future.”

Juneteenth is the annual commemoration of the end of slavery in the United States after the Civil War. It has been celebrated by African Americans since the late 1800s and New Jersey made it a state holiday in 2020. President Biden finally signed legislation last year to make Juneteenth a federal holiday.

The holiday’s name is combination of “June” and “19th” in recognition of June 19, 1865, the date of the announcement by Union Army Gen. Gordon Granger proclaiming freedom from slavery in Texas.

“When we think of Juneteenth, we think of more than the ending of slavery; we think of a culture and a community that has advanced progressively throughout the years,” notes Willingboro township manager Dwayne Harris.

The holiday officially is observed on June 19. Somerset County’s Juneteenth celebration, however, will take place Thursday, June 16, at the county courthouse in Somerville. Willingboro has scheduled its commemoration for Sunday, June 19, at Millcreek Park.

Here’s a sample of some of the other Juneteenth holiday community events scheduled to take place in the Garden State. (Send information on your event to [email protected])

ALLENTOWN

“Freedom Day,” Juneteenth celebration with art, food, music, literature, vendors, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. June 18, Allentown Presbyterian Church, 20 High St. Among those scheduled to perform are violinist/spoken word artist Allie…