Long Branch Library Hosts Juneteenth Celebration This Saturday

LONG BRANCH, NJ — The Long Branch Public Library is proud to be hosting Long Branch's first-ever Juneteenth celebration!

At 1 p.m. on Saturday, June 18, all are welcome for a festive event that celebrates the end of slavery in the United States.

In 1863, during the American Civil War, Pres. Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, which declared more than three million slaves living in the Confederate states to be free. More than two years would pass, however, before the news reached African Americans living in Texas. It was not until Union soldiers arrived in Galveston, Texas, on June 19, 1865, that the state’s residents finally learned that slavery had been abolished. The former slaves immediately began to celebrate with prayer, feasting, song and dance.

Learn more about the Long Branch Library event here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/i...

During this event, you can expect the following:

• Food vendors
• Guest speakers
• Genealogy Research
• DJ performance
• Local author presence
• Bouncy house
• Entertainment
• Local businesses selling wares such as clothing, jewelry, accessories and more

We thank the following sponsors for making this event possible:

• Long Branch Police Patrolman's Benevolent Association Local #10
• Monmouth Medical Center
• Amerigroup
• Grunin
• Maurice Snell Real Estate Professional
• Amiya and her Magical Toothbrush
• Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Guild
• Meal at Noon
• Long Branch Housing Authority

If you have any questions about the event, please contact Nekesha Marshall at nmarshall@longbranchlib.org.