The Lycoming Tri-County NAACP is pleased to announce that we are once again working in tandem with the CommUnity Zone out of Lewisburg as well as other organizations in Lycoming County to put on a Juneteenth celebration this summer. Supporting partners include STEP Americorps, the Early Learning Resource Center, Williamsport YWCA, Greater Susquehanna Valley United Way, and Lycoming County United Way.
We will again convene in Brandon Park in the center of Williamsport, on Saturday, June 18. There will be events on stage from noon to 4pm, as well as good food, local vendors, fun activities, and information tables.
As with last year, the festivities will truly offer something for everyone! All members of the community of all backgrounds – Black, white, brown or otherwise – are invited to join in this celebration of African American liberation and civil rights history. It is a great way to celebrate American heritage together.
The day will start with a Freedom Walk at 9:30am starting at the Freedom Road Cemetery.
The schedule for the event is still evolving, but this is the current run-down:
| Juneteenth | Stage Schedule |
| 12 | Welcome/Opening Remarks (Mayor Slaughter, Commissioner Mirabito) |
| 12:10 | Lift Every Voice and Sing (Tamaka Carter and JoAnne Henry) |
| 12:30 | Trot Fitness Interactive Demo (Nisan Trotter) |
| 1 | Spoken Word Interlude (Lisa E. Williams MC) |
| 1:30 | Umoja Pan-African Dance Performance |
| 2 | Honoring Our Community (Lisa E. Williams MC) |
| 2:15 | Community Activation and Engagement (Sharee Clark) |
| 2:30 | Line Dance |
| 2:50 | Spoken Word Interlude (Lisa E. Williams MC) |
| 3:20 | Interactive Pan-African Drum Circle (Jordan Golding/Umoja) |
| 3:45 | In Memoriam |
| 3:55 | Guided Meditation (Melodie Shaw) |
Juneteenth commemorates the end of slavery and is a day of joy, celebration, and a recommitment to the values of freedom and building a good community for all. Our theme this year is Juneteenth – Living Free & Healthy. We will be focusing on the importance and interconnection of all aspects of health: mental, physical, and financial.
This is an opportunity to demonstrate support for our active African American community here in central Pennsylvania. When we come together to support one another all our communities are stronger and we can feel great pride in what this country stands for.
We recommend you attend with a mind towards really engaging. Dress for dancing and fitness and food and fun! As with last year, you can be part of what’s happening up on the stage and down in the crowd.
We are thrilled to have people joining us such as Sharee Clark, co-founder of Freedom Fighters of Wilkes-Barre and founder of True Love Movement, Mayor Slaughter of Williamsport, County Commissioner Rick Mirabito, Kenny J, JoAnne Henry, Tamaka Carter, Nisan Trotter, the Umoja Dance Troupe, and more! Lisa E. Williams, president of the Lycoming Tri-County NAACP, will MC. And Melodie Shaw, past president and lead on the Juneteenth Planning Committee, will also play a supporting role on stage.
Our sponsors include the Charles and Betty Degenstein Foundation, Lycoming Engines, First Community Foundation Partnership, Lowe’s, Lycoming College, Pennsylvania College of Technology, PP&L, Beiter’s, AmeriHealth Caritas, Blaise Alexander KIA, the Genetti, Holiday Inn, North Central Sight Services, the Susquehanna University Student Cafe, Democracy for All/PennFuture, MANDS Construction, Rooted Relational Therapy, the Williamsport/Lycoming Chamber of Commerce, Giant, Wegman’s, and Weis. Be sure to thank them for supporting this important community event!
If people would like to be involved in the event, whether by being a vendor, tabling with information, performing, or being a sponsor, contact us at 570-360-9250 or lycomingtricountynaacp@gmail.com. Donations for the event can be made either by check or online (bit.ly/LycoJuneteenth22) to our event partner and established 501c3, the CommUnity Zone. If sending a check, please put Juneteenth in the memo and send to CommUnity Zone, 328 Market St, Lewisburg, PA 17837.
Thank you for showing your support of the entire community and the full history of our country!
Lycoming Tri-County NAACP 