Paterson Organizers Schedule Juneteenth Peace March

PATERSON, NJ — Juneteenth, the day which commemorates the end of slavery in the United States, takes place every year on June 19.

In Paterson, Juneteenth will be extended to Saturday, June 20, as a peace march against racial injustice is slated to begin at 9 a.m.

A flier, tweeted out by Assemblyman Benjie Wimberly, shows that the march will begin at the Integrity Masonic Temple at 224 Broadway in Paterson.

A special guest at the peace march will be Alonzo "Tambua" Moody, a long-time Paterson educator who helped start Great Falls Academy, which was later named in his honor, according to Northjersey.com.

The organizers, through the flier, ask that those who participate practice COVID-19 protocols and wear a face covering.

According to the flier, the march is supported by a variety of area officials, including Wimberly, Assemblywoman Shavonda Sumter, Councilwomen Ruby Cotton and Lilisa Mimms and Councilman Michael Jackson.

Paterson has hosted other protests after the deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor.

On June 2, protesters gathered on the steps of the city's free public library before marching through the city.

The city still has memories of Jameek Lowery, a man who died in 2019 after he livestreamed an encounter with police in which he asked for water, and for officers not to shoot him. He died at St. Joeseph's Regional Medical Center two days later.