Juneteenth In Newark: 'Drive To Justice' Rally Planned

NEWARK, NJ — A "Drive to Justice" motorcade and march is being planned for Newark on Friday, June 19, the holiday known as Juneteenth.

Juneteenth, which is short for June 19th, is a 155-year-old commemoration that celebrates the emancipation of African Americans from slavery in the United States.

• See related article: What Is Juneteenth? (5 Things To Know About The Holiday)

As part of a nationwide day of action being dubbed #DrivingToJustice, motorcades and marches will take place in dozens of cities, including Newark.

According to organizers, each Drive to Justice will "lift up the names of those whose lives have been stolen by police and white supremacists, especially those local to the communities where each demonstration is taking place."

In Newark, a motorcade will start at noon at 206 Springfield Avenue, then proceed to the Peter Rodino Federal Building, City Hall, Newark Penn Station, Market Street and Military Park.

The Juneteenth Leadership Coalition includes the Arc of Justice, SEIU 32BJ, Until Freedom, The Gathering For Justice, The Indigenous Peoples Movement, and other public officials and activists.

Organizers wrote:

"Juneteenth, also known as Freedom Day, is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States. On June 19, 1865, the Emancipation Proclamation — which had been issued more than two years earlier — was read by Union Army General Gordon Granger in the last slave-holding state of Texas informing them that all enslaved peoples were freed. This year’s Juneteenth comes after nearly one month of massive protests in cities across the country calling for racial justice and pressuring local officials to defund police departments."

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