Celebrating Juneteenth
Juneteenth is a holiday that marks the end of slavery in the United States, when, in 1865, some of the last enslaved Americans in Galveston, Texas were freed, more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation. This year, President Joe Biden signed a bill establishing Juneteenth as a federal holiday. Juneteenth events were held across the city, including at many NYCHA developments:
St. Nicholas Houses
The Juneteenth Freedom Fest NYC held a large block party on 129th Street in Harlem, with numerous vendors selling wares from St. Nicholas Houses. The block party was a day full of fun for the entire family, with music, food, live performances, games, face painting, and bounce houses. The block party was the final celebration after a week of virtual and in-person events celebrating Black culture and advancement.
Green City Force Eco-Hub Juneteenth Giveaways
Green City Force (GCF) hosted Juneteenth book giveaways during Farms at NYCHA events at the Bay View, Forest, Howard, Mariners Harbor, and Wagner Houses Eco-Hubs. There were books for all ages, featuring authors of color, diverse representation, and empowering storylines. GCF Corps Members gave 183 books to 94 residents of all ages. The books were made possible through Book Rich Environments (BRE), a program from the National Book Foundation and partners that connects public housing communities with resources to help children create a lifelong joy of reading.
BRE is designed to increase literacy rates for children living in public housing across the country. It is organized by the National Book Foundation in partnership with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), National Center for Families Learning, U.S. Department of Education, and Urban Libraries Council.
Lincoln Houses
Renowned Bronx-based chef Millie Peartree hosted a food drive at Lincoln Houses through her organization Full Heart Full Bellies, which partners with organizations to address food insecurity by providing meals and groceries to children in the Bronx. The food drive was held in coordination with Lea Potter, Lincoln Houses Resident Association President, and Danny Barber, President of the Citywide Council of Presidents and Jackson Houses Resident Association President.
All day, Lincoln Houses residents picked up groceries from corporate sponsors Del Monte, Cabot, WW, Target, Coca-Cola, Barilla, Dole, Knorr, and Tyson Foods. Volunteers from Healthfirst, Target, the NYPD, and NYCHA assisted with distributing the food.
Borinquen Plaza
NYPD Police Service Area 3 officers, in collaboration with Asians Fighting Injustice and God’s Blessings Plan, held a Juneteenth Freedom Day on Saturday, June 19 at Borinquen Plaza. The event featured music, food, and a toiletry giveaway.