First Juneteeth Ceremony To Be Held In Yardley

YARDLEY, PA —First, they honored Pride Day. And now the borough will do the same for Juneteenth.

In celebrating the national holiday on Monday, June 19, Yardley Borough will hold its first official Juneteenth ceremony in front of Borough Hall at 6:30 p.m. Monday.

In addition to remarks by Councilman David Appelbaum, there will also be a history lesson, and stories about the holiday and its impact on American history.

Shirley Corsey, executive director of the Gather Place Museum, will offer the presentation.

Gather Place Museum —which recently underwent renovations —will also be open throughout the day at 188 S. Canal St. showing informational videos about the origins of the holiday. Visit The Gather Place for more information.

"During this momentous month celebrating The LGBTQ+ community, Flag Day, and now Juneteenth, I’m reminded why I became a public servant," Appelbaum said. "We must remain diligent and maintain the wins that have been hard fought for. The American flag reminds us of our freedom from a tyrannical king, Pride Month reminds us that our freedom to be who we are and not what others want us to be is a worthy fight, and the Juneteenth flag, a symbol of the end of slavery in the United States, reminds us that though we are told all men are equal and freedom is ours, it still is only ours unfortunately as long as we fight for it."

Appelbaum helped revive the borough's ceremony to honor National Pride Day after a two-year absence. He said the event drew more than 100 people.

Corsey said that she was honored to be asked to participate in the borough's first official Juneteenth ceremony.

"My goal in being part of this ceremony is to provide some information about Juneteenth that many people are not aware of or are just learning about," Corsey said.

Corsey said the museum will be open from Noon to 3 p.m. for "Walk-Through and View" displays and exhibits as well as a special "Juneteenth 1865 - Celebration" display and videos.