Annual Juneteenth celebration draws crowds to Wolf's Lane Park in Pelham

Those who attended said it's important to celebrate and reflect on this part of American history.

Carol Wilkinson

Jun 17, 2024, 1:14 AM

Updated 174 days ago

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Hundreds of people spent Father's Day celebrating an important day in American history.
Juneteenth commemorates the end of slavery in the United States after the Civil War.
Those who attended said it's important to celebrate and reflect on this part of American history.
"We have to understand that when everyone else was free, there were people that were not. When it came to be that they freed everybody, then we were all free, because if one of isn't free, then none of us are free," said Dawn-Marie Blackwell, of Yonkers.
Event organizer Jeff Watkins explained the significance of holding the Juneteenth celebration in a park.
"We share a border with the Bronx, Mount Vernon, New Rochelle that are all very diverse and Pelham isn't as diverse, but it's good to bridge those gaps and build together, and that's why we do it in a park," he said.
Kentucky Francis Hayden, who now lives in Mount Vernon, summed up the importance of celebrating Juneteenth regardless of one's race or ethnicity.
"I just remember my mother, she never preached to me, but just the way she was, by osmosis or example, I just grew up feeling like we're all one people," he said.