Community, history and remembrance: Juneteenth events throughout the Hudson Valley
Several communities throughout the mid-Hudson Valley will celebrate “America’s second Independence Day” with a variety of activities throughout June.
Recognized as a federal holiday since 2020, Juneteenth commemorates the official end of slavery in the United States, when news of Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation finally reached Galveston, Texas, the country’s final slave-owning holdout, in 1866.
“Juneteenth is a time to honor freedom, celebrate unity and embrace the power of progress together,” said Tyrone Wilson, founder and executive director of Harambee Kingston, which is sponsoring several Juneteenth events this year.
From historical talks to live performances and film screenings, all events are free and open to the public.
More: Pride in Poughkeepsie, New Paltz, Newburgh: Here are the 2024 June events
Friday, June 14
Juma Sultan’s Aboriginal Music Society concert
6:30 p.m. at Old Dutch Church, Kingston
Performance by a local 10-piece afro-funk ensemble with a pre-concert talk by drummer and master teacher Ubaka Hill, who also serves as program coordinator at Harambee Kingston.
Saturday, June 15
Juneteenth Planetarium Show: “Navigating Freedom”
10 a.m. at the Mid-Hudson Discovery Museum, Poughkeepsie
Learn how Harriet Tubman and other conductors on the Underground Railroad used the stars to navigate to freedom. Admission is free.
Author talk: “On Juneteenth” with Jemar Tisby
11 a.m. at the Lateef Islam Auditorium at the Family Partnership Center, Poughkeepsie
New York Times bestselling author and public historian Jemar Tisby will host a conversation about the historical significance of Juneteenth and its modern relevance. Tisby's books will be available for purchase and signing at the event.
Historical Society lecture: “Defying Expectations: How Local Black Women of the Gilded Age Reshaped Black Education and Literacy into the 20th Century”
2 p.m. at Staatsburgh State Historic Site, Staatsburg
Dutchess County Historical Society Executive Director Bill Jeffway will explore the role that Black women played in uplifting their Hudson Valley communities throughout the Gilded Age in a discussion highlighting Hudson Valley historical figures Susan Elizabeth Frazier and Sadie Peterson Delaney.
City of Kingston Juneteenth Celebration
Noon at the Pine Street African Burial Ground, Kingston
1-6 p.m. at the Harambee Kingston African Cultural Headquarters, Kingston
The all-day event will feature theatrical performances by local actors portraying Frederick Douglass and Sojourner Truth, as well as live music performances by Maxwell Kofi Donkor and the Sankofa Dancers & Drummers, Slam Allen, the Bard Jazz Band, Saints of Swing with Rene Bailey, and the Women’s Drumsong Orchestra. Participants are encouraged to bring lawn chairs
Sunday, June 16
City of Poughkeepsie Juneteenth Jubilee
1-7 p.m. at Waryas Park, Poughkeepsie
Enjoy food trucks, vendors, live music and kids activities on the Poughkeepsie waterfront.
Wednesday, June 19
Fourth annual New Paltz Juneteenth Jubilee
10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Margaret Wade Lewis Center for Black History and Culture, New Paltz
Storytelling, live music performances, a parade, tours and a commemoration ceremony to honor the formerly enslaved people who helped build the village of New Paltz.
Beacon’s second annual Juneteenth Riverfront Festival
11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Pete & Toshi Seeger Riverfront Park, Beacon
Enjoy live music performances by Beacon-based Bosco & The Storm, a five-piece R&B band; dances, poetry readings, food trucks and vendors on the Beacon waterfront, sponsored by Beacon4BlackLives.
Middletown’s Black Wall Street PopUp
10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Sadie’s Books & Beverages, Middletown
Grab a guide to the new Treasure Trail to learn facts about Juneteenth from local businesses and enjoy wares from several local Black artisans and businesses.
Middletown live music performances
3-5 p.m. at John F. Degnan Square, Middletown
Performances by local artists including KaiAri, YVNV, Smittie, Kofi & The Sankofa Drummers, and Rae & The Fellerz. The event will also feature raffles and free community resources.
Film screening: “Origin”
5:30 p.m. at the Paramount Theater, Middletown
This 2023 biographical drama film directed by Ava DuVarnay chronicles the life of Pulitzer Prize winner Isabel Wilkerson, author of “Caste: the Origins of Our Discontents.”
Saturday, June 22 and Sunday, June 23
Public presentation on Black Staatsburg: The Gilded Age Black Community of Staatsburg
2 p.m. at Staatsburgh State Historic Site, Staatsburg
Staff at the Staatsburgh State Historic Site will deliver a presentation on the meaning of the Gilded Age to the free Black community in the village of Staatsburgh featuring an exploration of census records, historic maps and the larger context of race relations during the Gilded Age.
This article originally appeared on Times Herald-Record: Juneteenth 2024: What's planned in mid-Hudson Valley
