In reflecting on the Lehigh Valley’s community events of summer 2024, Southsider wanted to highlight the Juneteenth celebration that took place in Easton. The Juneteenth parade was celebratory and educational. It also brought together the entire Lehigh Valley community for an unforgettable day.
On the afternoon of Sunday June 16th, the Juneteenth Lehigh Valley organization hosted a parade to celebrate the holiday and to honor the Black community in the area along with their ancestors. Juneteenth is a federal holiday that celebrates the emancipation of the final enslaved people in Galveston, Texas on June 19th, 1865. This day is so momentous because it marked the official end of slavery in the United States. Although President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1st, 1863 declaring all enslaved people to be free, his proclamation was unheeded by some who continued to enslave people despite the abolition of slavery in the U.S. The end of slavery did not become a reality for all until 250,000 enslaved Texans were freed in June of 1865. Despite the importance of this day, Juneteenth had not been officially celebrated in the Lehigh Valley until last year. For the second annual Juneteenth, organizers expanded the celebration with a series of events that took place between June 8 to the 19th. Organizers hosted a 5k Run that promoted wellness for all, a festival at SteelStacks with music and over 40 Black-owned local businesses, and a tribute to the National Negro Baseball League at Iron Pigs stadium.
In addition to these events, organizers created the Juneteenth Parade, which was a celebratory event that emphasized the importance of the holiday. The gathering was organized to begin with a few speeches that would articulate the meaning of Juneteenth and highlight the Lehigh Valley’s Black community. These speeches were followed by the parade itself. At 3:00 PM the Easton Circle was full of people wearing Juneteenth memorabilia as they turned to the stage that was placed in front of the Crayola Factory’s front entrance. The gathering before the parade began with a prayer that encouraged everyone in attendance to bow their hands and remember the grave history of slavery in the United States. Following the prayer, Olivia Britt sang the National Anthem and “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” which is often referred to as the Black National Anthem.
After the singing of the anthems, Dr. Karen Britt, president of Juneteenth Lehigh Valley, took to the stage. Dr. Britt excitedly thanked the crowd for celebrating a day of freedom as a community. Importantly, Dr. Britt acknowledged that Juneteenth is not a well-known holiday in the United States. Instead of conveying any disappointment in that fact, she instead emphasized the tremendous growth of the holiday in recent years. Rather than focusing on what the community might not have known in the past, Dr. Britt wanted everyone to feel excited about what they learned from attendance at Juneteenth events. She encouraged everyone to turn to their neighbor and proudly state, “Now you know!” In this way she welcomed those who were new to celebrating Juneteenth and encouraged others to do the same. Following this encouragement, Dr. Britt provided an explanation of what Juneteenth celebrates, which was accompanied by consistent clapping and whistling. She emphasized how Juneteenth represents the freedom of all Black people in the United States. During her speech, she also gave thanks to the many sponsors of Juneteenth Lehigh Valley who made it possible for the week of events to occur. These sponsors included local colleges and universities, the Lehigh Valley Health Network, and many other local companies. After Dr. Britt’s speech, she welcomed speakers representing the Lehigh Valley, including Congresswoman Susan Wild and Allentown’s mayor, Matt Tuerk.
The speeches were followed by the parade itself, which included floats, groups, and companies that highlighted the Black community in the Lehigh Valley. The parade moved along Nazareth Street and ended at the Easton Circle. The parade was separated into three sections that represented the cities of Easton, Bethlehem, and Allentown. Uniquely, the parade was also narrated by three pastors who spoke for their respective city. It began with Pastor Phillip Davis from Easton’s Greater Shiloh Church, then transitioned to Pastor Paul Patrick from Bethlehem’s Second Baptist Church, and finished with Pastor Benjamin Hailey from Allentown’s Union Baptist Church Allentown. Each section of the parade included floats from local businesses and organizations and a youth dance team. The dance teams were especially popular because they highlighted young talent in the Lehigh Valley while incorporating bright costumes and bringing energy to the festivities. Likewise, each city also honored a local family that has contributed to the local community, often for generations. Including both the older and younger generations in the parade provided an essential balance between honoring Black history and celebrating a hopeful future.
Events for Juneteenth are essential for reflecting upon the immense inequality in our country’s past and celebrating the progress that has been made towards equality for all while also acknowledging that there is still work to be done. Speakers at the Juneteenth parade, including Dr. Brit and Congresswoman Susan Wild, addressed the current racial inequality in the United States. They emphasized that racial inequality is deeply prevalent as many Black communities face inaccessibility to voting centers, resources for education, public transport, and much more. The speakers called for the audience to help create a more equitable future. Celebrating Juneteenth and encouraging the entire Lehigh Valley community to learn more about Black history creates hope for a future with genuine equality. To learn more, visit Juneteenth Lehigh Valley.
