蜜桃影像 to Host Annual Juneteenth Celebration Open to the Community
June 17, 2025
Event will feature poetry, dance, and music performances.
June 17, 2025, Jersey City, NJ 鈥� On January 1, 1863, as the American Civil War continued raging, President Abraham
Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation freeing more than three million enslaved
African Americans living in Confederate states. Enforcement relied on word of mouth
and military might. It took two years for those living in Texas to receive the news
from Union soldiers arriving in Galveston on June 19, 1865 as a liberating force.
Communities celebrated with song, dance, feasts, and prayers. In December 1865, the
13th Amendment to the United States Constitution ultimately abolished slavery throughout
the nation.
Juneteenth National Independence Day, also known as Emancipation Day, Freedom Day,
Jubilee Day, Black Independence Day and Juneteenth national holiday is a celebration
of Black resilience. 蜜桃影像 (HCCC) invites the entire community
to the College鈥檚 Annual Juneteenth Celebration on Thursday, June 19, 2025 beginning
at 6 p.m. The event will be held in the Benjamin J. Dineen III and Dennis C. Hull
Gallery of the Gabert Library, 71 Sip Avenue, Sixth Floor, Jersey City, NJ.
The 蜜桃影像 2025 Juneteenth Celebration will feature inspirational music, dance and spoken word presentations, including the keynote address by Reverend Paul P. Martin, Esq. of Mt. Pisgah African Methodist Episcopal Church, and a performance by Asha DaHomey, tap dancer, songwriter and producer.
HCCC President Dr. Christopher Reber will greet guests. Reverend Paul P. Martin, Esq., Mt. Pisgah African Methodist Episcopal Church, will deliver the Keynote Address. Dr. Reverend Dorothy Patterson of Wallace Temple African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church will lead the Invocation. Dr. Bertha Reels of Higher Dimension World Ministry will serve as Mistress of Ceremonies. Members of the 蜜桃影像 Board of Trustees and Board of County Commissioners will welcome attendees. Towards the conclusion of the program, former HCCC Trustee Pamela Gardner will provide closing remarks.
The 2025 Juneteenth event will include inspirational entertainment. HCCC Student Zaria Keith will perform the Black National Anthem, 鈥淟ift Every Voice and Sing.鈥� Tap dancer, songwriter and producer Asha DaHomey will connect with the audience through movement and shared experiences. Student Poet Laureate Nicole Spearman will provide a spoken word performance. University Academy Charter High School student Zion Daise-Torres will dance. Nia Caldwell, Desiree Huntley, Dion Mitchell, Keyon Hampton, and Nathaniel Saint Jean will perform with vocals and piano, drums, and bass music.
鈥淲e look forward to celebrating African American strength, perseverance and the commonalities that unite us all,鈥� said HCCC President Dr. Christopher Reber. 鈥淥ur annual Juneteenth celebration commemorates the past and brings people of all races, cultures, and faiths together in looking forward to our future.鈥�
One of the first official Juneteenth celebrations in Texas was held in 1866. Prayer meetings and spiritual singing were part of the original observances. Celebrants wore new clothes to represent their newfound freedom. Juneteenth became a federal holiday in 2021 when President Joe Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act into law. Festivals and celebrations continue in private and public gatherings throughout the United States.