Juneteenth in Swarthmore

This Juneteenth, the Historically Black Neighborhood of Swarthmore (HBNS) organized a combination Juneteenth celebration and Black Lives Matter protest. The event began with a procession, with banners and bells, from the Wesley AME Church on Bowdoin Avenue to Umoja Park. Chairs were set up at the corner of Yale and Brighton avenues for the HBNS elders. 

Rev. William Gray Sr. offered a prayer. Ira Bond poured libations to the ancestors and sang. Various speakers, including two young people, offered thoughts on Juneteenth, Black Lives Matter, and the meaning of freedom. Eight minutes and 46 seconds of silence were observed in honor of George Floyd and other Black men and women killed by police. 

The crowd of perhaps 200 marched around the perimeter of the park, after which Jeannine Osayande and the Dunya Performing Arts Company Drummers led everyone in a Bantabah African dance circle.

These photos were taken by Swarthmore resident and photographer Andy Shelter. We thank Andy for sharing his wonderful images from the celebration.