'Grandmother of Juneteenth' kicks off Middlesex County celebration of Black freedom
Dr. Opal Lee, 2024 Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient and the "Grandmother of Juneteenth," visited Middlesex County last weekend to kick off a month of Juneteenth events celebrating freedom and educating residents on the county’s rich Black history and the significance of holiday.
Lee propelled the movement to make Juneteenth a federal holiday, enacted in 2021, and New Jersey being one of the earliest states to declare it a paid holiday is one of the many reasons Lee visited the county.
Lee’s visit began with a trip to East Jersey Old Town Village in Piscataway on June 7, where she was immersed in the rich history of Middlesex County. She met with County Historian Mark Nonestied and African American historical interpreters, as an audience of 100 guests listened to Lee’s journey and the truth behind Juneteenth.
That evening, Lee was the keynote speaker at the annual Juneteenth Freedom Fund Gala hosted by the NAACP Metuchen, Edison, Piscataway branch.
On June 8, Lee served as the grand marshal for the annual Freedom Day Celebration in Edison.
On June 9 and 10, she hosted discussions with local youth at the Piscataway Public Library, the McKinley Community School in New Brunswick, and the Arbor Intermediate School in Piscataway.
She discussed with students the importance of fighting for freedom and emphasized that the Juneteenth holiday is a reminder of those who fought to preserve freedom for all. She also read from her book, “Juneteenth: A Children’s Story.”
“I want people to realize that Juneteenth means freedom, and it's freedom for everybody,” the civil rights activist said. “I'm hoping that they will understand that what we do symbolizes freedom. None of us are free until we are all free, and we're not free yet.”
Juneteenth programming will continue throughout June, with more celebrations and educational events free for all residents:
1:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. June 15. Lost Souls Public Memorial Project at East Brunswick Community Center, 721 Cranbury Road, East Brunswick;
4 p.m. June 19. Board of County Commissioners Juneteenth flag raising and celebration with NAACP MAEB branch at Monument Square Park, 2 Livingston Ave., New Brunswick;
2 p.m. to 6 p.m. June 29. FolkLIVE: Gospel Music Festival hosted by the Arts Institute of Middlesex County at Monument Square Park in New Brunswick.
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Susan Loyer covers Middlesex County and more for MyCentralJersey.com. To get unlimited access to her work, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.
This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: Juneteenth events in Middlesex County NJ headlined by Dr. Opal Lee
