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LIBERTY, N.Y. – People gathered across the country to celebrate Juneteenth on Friday, including local celebrations in Sullivan County.
Juneteenth marks the end of slavery in the U.S. and became an official federal holiday in 2021. On June 19, 1865, federal troops marched to Galveston, Texas to inform enslaved people they were free – over two years after President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863.
Residents and community leaders opened the Juneteenth celebration at Hanofee Park in Liberty singing to Lift Every Voice and Sing, a hymn and poem by NAACP leader James Weldon Johnson from 1900 that became a rallying cry for Black Americans during the Civil Rights Movement. Friday’s event was hosted by the NAACP Sullivan County branch.
Alisha Santiago, Vice President of NAACP Sullivan County, says Friday was an important reminder of Black history and culture.
“There was a time when my ancestors were not free,” Santiago told Radio Catskill. “If you forget the history, you’ll repeat itself. We want to make sure people have a good time, laugh, enjoy, but if you don’t remember the history of what happened to us, it will happen again.”
The free event offered free food and local vendors. The celebration was also a place for artists and community leaders to engage with the public, including live paintings, performances, a basketball clinic, and games such as a trivia wheel focused on questions about Black history.
Hassina Brodie, a local artist in Monticello, paints an orange hued sunset over waters. She’s one of several artists displaying her art at the Juneteenth celebration.
One of her favorite paintings shows the continent of Africa painted gold and studded with gems and stones. Surrounding the African continent are different keys to symbolize other countries’ greed and exploitation of Africa’s resources, says Brodie.
Juneteenth celebrations also took place across Orange, Delaware, and Ulster counties in New York.
Image: Attendees at the Juneteenth 2026 event on June 19 in Liberty, New York (Photo Credit: Rebekah Hendricks)