Juneteenth Way

Prospect Park Alliance Celebrate

 

 

This area has been designated as Juneteenth Way as part of a citywide initiative to name parkland in honor of events and figures of significance in the Black Community. Juneteenth is our country's second independence day, yet this historical event still remains largely unknown to the wider public.

 

Juneteenth commemorates the end of slavery in the United States. It officially marks the date of June 19, 1865, when more than 250,000 enslaved Black people were freed in Texas, the last state to be emancipated in our nation. Juneteenth was designated an official holiday by New York State in 2020. In 2021 the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act was signed into law, creating a new federal holiday. The holiday is celebrated through rich traditions, including lively festivals and parades with local bands, storytelling, picnics and a Juneteenth staple — barbecues.

 

Traditionally, red drinks and red foods are served, with red symbolizing resilience.

 

NYC Parks and Prospect Park Alliance stand in solidarity with the Black Community and the fight to end systemic racism, and are demonstrating our commitment by taking a responsive step at addressing related issues within the park system. In the coming year, Prospect Park Alliance and NYC Parks will engage with the community to rename this area after a Black individual with local significance.

 

This project complements the Alliance's work to re-envision the mission and vision of Lefferts Historic House, and how it can shed light on the experiences of our ancestors while also serving as a community hub and a space for dialogue in today's Brooklyn.

 

Learn more about Juneteenth on the website of the National Museum of African-American History and Culture: prospectpark.org/juneteenth.

Submitted by @lampbane