Juneteenth officially became an American federal holiday two years ago, called “National Independence Day” by President Joseph Biden. Juneteenth, which is both a day of solemn reflection and remembrance and one of emancipation celebration, uplifts June 19, 1865: the date when the last enslaved people in the Confederacy were notified of their freedom following the Civil War. The Town of Rye, which is home to one of the area’s most important Black History sites, The Rye African-American Cemetery, once again honors the memory of our forebears with its third annual event of service and spoken word at the cemetery, on Saturday June 22, 2024, beginning at 10 am.
Registration Link:
https://townofrye.seamlessdocs.com/f/2024Juneteenth
Waiver Link:
https://townofrye.seamlessdocs.com/f/Juneteenth%20Participation%20Waiver%202024
The Town of Rye will be honoring Juneteenth with a commemoration followed by a day of service beautifying the African American cemetery. This year’s Juneteenth commemoration will begin with oral histories of some of the remarkable people buried at the African American cemetery presented by high school students from Rye, Rye Neck and Blind Brook high school's. The ceremony, for which Mr. Joseph Holland will be the keynote, is an occasion to pay homage to the experiences of local Black emigrants and citizens over the course of the past two centuries. Joseph Holland whose most recent book, Make Your Own History, unleashes the mystery of the African American trailblazers who have paved the way through the pages of time.
Joseph Holland is an author, attorney, speaker entrepreneur, and ordained minister with outreach ministries to the homeless and other needy people, and an acclaimed community servant. A graduate of Cornell University, where he earned a B.A. and M.A. and was an All-American football player, Mr. Holland also holds his J.D. degree from Harvard Law School.
The ceremony will be followed by the service project, led by Feng volunteers who will be treating the headstones with preservation techniques to clean off the lichen and dirt.
Saturday, June 22, 2024 (rain date June 23rd)
AFRICAN AMERICAN CEMETERY
215 North Street, Town of Rye, NY
(in the Greenwood Union Cemetery)
It is highly recommended that participants wear outdoor work gloves and bring any of the following items with them to help with clean-up work:
* It is important that you dress appropriately. Be sure to wear layers if necessary and closed toe shoes.
* Children under 14 must be accompanied by an adult.
If you have a service form you would like filled out, please Email it to Councilperson Pam Jaffee at PJaffee@TownofRyeNY.com.
Rye Town Office
222 Grace Church Street, 3rd Floor
Port Chester, NY 10573
