Looking out over the crowd gathered in front of City Hall Wednesday morning, the Rev. Roland Forbes was reminded of an O'Jays song from the early 1970s: "Family Reunion."
The diversity displayed in front of him was heartwarming, he said, and sends "a powerful statement to the world."
"It's good that we are standing here as one today," he said. "Take a moment, grab somebody's hand and tell them, 'I'm glad that you are here.'"
Forbes served as MC for the morning's Juneteenth flag-raising ceremony. People crowded along the sidewalk and spilled out into North Duke Street; many more watched from the sidewalk across the street. Safety barricades, initially set up around the parking lane, were redeployed to temporarily close one of the two travel lanes to traffic.
The ceremony was followed by a reception and forum, organized by the Lancaster branch of the NAACP at Bethel AME Church and Cultural Center. Other invents included a celebration hosted by the African American Cultural Alliance from 1 to 4 p.m. at Sixth Ward Park; on Friday, Lancaster city will host a Juneteenth Jubilee from 5 to 8 p.m. in Binns Park and Ewell Plaza.
'Honor the trailblazers'
Local officials and community leaders said the holiday is an occasion both to reflect on the past and to envision a better future.
"Let us honor the trailblazers who paved the way and strive to create a world where freedom and equality are embraced by all," said Joshua Hunter, director of Crispus Attucks Community Center.
Blanding Watson, president of the NAACP Lancaster branch, reviewed the history of Juneteenth and the legacy of slavery and the decades of discrimination and racial segregation that followed.
"We did not construct this long history of systemic discrimination but we must help dismantle it," he said.
State Rep. Ismail Smith-Wade-El, D-Lancaster, recalled visiting the African American Civil War Museum in Washington, D.C., and seeing a headline from April 1865 announcing the capture of Richmond, Virginia, the Confederacy's capital, by a vanguard of Black Union troops.
"Not only have African Americans been essential in securing their own freedom, but at every point in history, when the American experiment was in danger, black voters, black people, black organizers, have acted as an insurance policy for this country," he said.
He also offered a plug for the education spending plan that the state House passed last week, and suggested his listeners contact their senators to urge its passage in that chamber.
Vincent Smith, leader of the African American Cultural Alliance, had a call to action as well: Support Black organizations. He recommended three: Bethel AME Church, the NAACP and Evita Colon's A Concrete Rose, which recently closed its location on South Duke Street.
"Our community needs to step up to the plate," he said, not just with money but also time and effort: "Sometimes we need bodies to do the work, and without the bodies, the work can't be done."
Robin Goodson, president of the School District of Lancaster board, said educators play a vital role in actualizing the promise of Juneteenth.
"Our dedication to diversity, equity and inclusion must be unwavering," she said. "It is essential that every student feel seen, heard and valued and understand their ability to enact positive change in the world. ...
"Let us continue striving for a more equitable and inclusive future for all."
Photos
