State grant, local support help State College Juneteenth celebration expand in third year
Once again, hundreds of community members gathered in downtown State College to celebrate Juneteenth on Saturday. The event marked just the third official Juneteenth celebration hosted by State College’s NAACP chapter, the borough and a few community partners.
At Martin Luther King Jr. Plaza and on South Fraser Street, guests were treated to a festival with live entertainment, poetry readings and goods from Black vendors from across Pennsylvania. The Juneteenth celebration recognizes the anniversary of the day in 1865 when news of the Emancipation Proclamation reached Galveston, Texas, effectively freeing a quarter-million Black slaves. Juneteenth, officially celebrated on June 19, became a federal holiday last summer.
“Our ancestors fought for freedom for us all — Black and white. We are free because they sacrificed and because they worked,” said activist and Penn State professor emeritus Charles Dumas, who led a full reading of the Emancipation Proclamation. “They made the thing that the Founding Fathers only dreamed of a reality. Brothers and sisters, we must continue to do the same thing.”
Since 2020, Juneteenth festivities in State College have grown significantly, expanding from a single stage to a full-scale block party with more than a dozen vendor booths selling Cajun rice, Black beauty products, custom clothes and more. Those expansions can likely be attributed to a new $15,000 grant awarded to the Happy Valley Adventure Bureau. In April, the Pennsylvania Tourism Office dished out nearly $90,000 to support seven tourism agencies across the commonwealth that sponsor Juneteenth events.
Officials from State College’s NAACP chapter say support from the state is necessary for expansion.
“This wouldn’t be possible without the support of the grant,” said Lorraine Jones, president of State College’s NAACP chapter. “The way we’ve been able to expand it and grow and showcase Black businesses and vendors ... I’m very grateful, and I hope the next government will continue to provide those resources. They’re needed to be able to celebrate Juneteenth.”
The State College borough also plays a significant role in supporting Juneteenth celebrations. Besides serving as a sponsor, the borough issued a formal proclamation to declare June 19 as “Juneteenth Freedom Day.”
Mayor Ezra Nanes, who read that proclamation aloud in front of a crowd Saturday afternoon, said he was excited to help support Juneteenth in his first year in office.
“This is a really important holiday for us where we center Black lives and Black excellence and the experience of African Americans,” Nanes said. “Seeing the state supporting us just means a lot because it allows us to do more and include more people. This is really something meaningful for the community.”
Penn State President Neeli Bendapudi attended Saturday’s celebration with her family and friends. Just six weeks into her tenure, she says supporting local activism and engaging with communities are high priorities.
“I think the key message is, ‘We really are one human race.’ We need to be there for each other,” Bendapudi said. “I say a sense of belonging is very critical, whether it’s student, faculty or staff. It’s just a delight to be here and see everyone.”
Much like the borough, Penn State helps support and grow State College’s Juneteenth celebrations. The university’s Center for the Performing Arts served as a partner organization for this year’s event, and a handful of its employees served on Juneteenth’s 12-member planning committee.
Volunteer Amy Vashaw hopes that newfound support will help State College’s Juneteenth event continue developing for years to come.
“We’re so excited and appreciative (of the support),” Vashaw said. “We hope to throw the biggest and Blackest Juneteenth celebration State College has ever seen, and it’s definitely thanks to the support of that grant and our community.”
%202.JPG)