Ulster County to Host Juneteenth Lunch and Learn on Local History of Emancipation

KINGSTON, N.Y. — Ulster County Government will host a Juneteenth Lunch and Learn program next week exploring the history of Juneteenth and the path toward emancipation in Ulster County.

The event is scheduled for noon on June 18 and will feature presentations by Weldon McWilliams, chair of Black Studies at SUNY New Paltz, and Ulster County Historian Edward Moran.

According to county officials, McWilliams and Moran will guide participants through original historical documents that examine the gradual process of emancipation in Ulster County and the local struggle for freedom.

The program is free and open to the public. It will be held at the Restorative Justice & Community Empowerment Center, located at 733 Broadway in Kingston, and will also be livestreamed via Zoom.

Those wishing to attend in person are asked to RSVP with Youth and Family Engagement Coordinator Kim Mapes at (845) 802-7966 or by email at kmap@ulstercountyny.gov.

A Zoom link for virtual attendees is available through the county’s Juneteenth event webpage.

County officials said the program is part of Ulster County’s ongoing efforts to promote education, equity and community engagement in recognition of Juneteenth, the federal holiday commemorating the end of slavery in the United States.