A dance group from the Mount Zion Baptist Church performs at Saturday’s Juneteenth celebration at the Coal Street Park in Wilkes-Barre.
                                 Kevin Carroll | Times Leader

A dance group from the Mount Zion Baptist Church performs at Saturday’s Juneteenth celebration at the Coal Street Park in Wilkes-Barre.

Kevin Carroll | Times Leader

Wilkes-Barre gathering marks Juneteenth’s first observance after being made a federal holiday

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<p>A group of local singers known as ‘Soulful Springs’ performs ‘Lift Every Voice and Sing.’</p>
                                 <p>Kevin Carroll | Times Leader</p>

A group of local singers known as ‘Soulful Springs’ performs ‘Lift Every Voice and Sing.’

Kevin Carroll | Times Leader

<p>Sharee Clark, left, of the NEPA Freedom Fighters speaks at Saturday’s celebration. Clark’s group organized the event with the help of multiple other area activism groups.</p>
                                 <p>Kevin Carroll | Times Leader</p>

Sharee Clark, left, of the NEPA Freedom Fighters speaks at Saturday’s celebration. Clark’s group organized the event with the help of multiple other area activism groups.

Kevin Carroll | Times Leader

WILKES-BARRE — Good music, good food and good vibes were on the menu Saturday as the NEPA Freedom Fighters, along with several other community organizations, celebrated Juneteenth with a gathering at Coal Street Park.

Just days after President Joe Biden’s approval of a federal holiday commemorating the date in 1865 on which the last enslaved people in Texas learned they were free, dozens of area residents and community leaders came together to celebrate the occasion on a beautiful afternoon in Wilkes-Barre.

The gathering was the result of collaboration between groups like Action Together, NEPA Alliance and the NEPA Freedom Fighters, led by Sharee Clark.

Clark has been a fixture at marches and rallies geared toward justice and racial equity for the past year, and she said she was “flabbergasted” at the showing of support she saw on Saturday.

“I didn’t expect it [Juneteenth] to become a federal holiday so close to today,” Clark said. “This is a celebration of love, and of freedom, and it’s amazing how much love there is here today.”

All around the park, a number of tents were set up and occupied by a number of local organizations, handing out candy for the children and information about their causes, as well.

Change, and the idea of moving forward as a community, was a common theme with many of the organizations represented in the park on Saturday.

And of course, change could be described as the overall theme of the afternoon, as the celebration of Juneteenth has gone from a little-known bit of Black history to a federally-recognized holiday in a relatively short span of time.

“I think the recognition was spurred by the movement,” Clark said. “A lot of people may not have known what Juneteenth was before, but the rallies and marches helped bring it to everyone’s attention.”

The celebration included a lot of activities for the children, too; coloring sheets, a tug-of-rope setup and some more fun games were scattered around the park.

“We wanted to make this fun for everyone,” said Brittany Stephenson, a Wilkes-Barre native who’s worked closely with the Freedom Fighters over the past year. “This is a community event, we wanted to get the community together and have a good time and celebrate today.”

Entertainment was provided in the form of music, as well. Guitarist Darryl Jaye played a couple of songs for the crowd, while the dance group Abundant Praise from the Mount Zion Baptist Church opened the afternoon with a performance.

After a rendition of “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” commonly referred to as the Black National Anthem, Clark took to the microphone to offer a few words.

“Today is about freedom, and about celebration,” Clark said. “Happy Juneteenth, everybody … it’s official now, we’ve got the holiday.”

The weather was perfect, the vibes were wonderful and the mood was perfect.

For Stephenson, the growth of Juneteenth into federal recognition has been amazing.

“I’ve lived in Wilkes-Barre most of my life, and we’ve never had too many events like this one,” she said.

“To see Juneteenth be recognized as a holiday, it feels like a big step in the right direction.”