Sussex County celebrates Juneteenth

NEWTON. The celebration was held on Sunday, June 19, at Memory Park in Newton.

| 20 Jun 2022 | 02:59

Sussex County residents gathered on June 19, to celebrate the date generally recognized as the official emancipation of enslaved people in the United States, typically known as Juneteenth, or Freedom Day. While the holiday was said to have first been celebrated in Galveston, Texas, around 1866, it was first declared a national federal holiday by President Joe Biden in June 2021.

Sussex County’s Juneteenth celebration took place in Memory Park (111 Moran Street) in Newton this past Sunday, and featured a variety of vendors, performers, speakers, and music provided by DJ Ively, courtesy of Mix’n It Up Events. The event was also made possible by Planet Networks, the H3Al Coalition, and Norwescap Pathways 2 Prosperity.

Scott Paul, of the H3AL Coalition noted, “It was a great event which received a lot of support from the community. It wouldn’t have been possible with the outpouring of support from community members and leaders.”