Tompkins County and the City of Ithaca in coordination with Southside Community Center, Business Leaders of Colors, and the Community Foundation of Tompkins County are announcing free and open to the public Juneteenth festivities on Friday, June 16 at Southside Community Center, 305 South Plain Street, Ithaca.
June 16 festivities include:
- 11:00am – 3:00pm Black Business Expo
- In partnership with Business Leaders of Colors
- 11:00am – 3:00pm Career Fair
- Including job applications and on-site interviews.
- Employers include: City of Ithaca, Tompkins County, BOCES, TCAT, and City of Ithaca School District Bus Garage
- 11:45am – Business Leaders of Colors Social Justice Leader Award Presentation
- 12:00pm – Keynote Address from Dr. Sean Eversley Bradwell
- Assistant Professor, Ithaca College Department of Education
- 12:30pm – Community Meal, free and open to the public
Juneteenth is an annual celebration of Black liberation, commemorating the emancipation of enslaved African Americans in the United States. In addition to a federal and New York State holiday, both Tompkins County and the City of Ithaca have declared Juneteenth a holiday and observe it with paid time off for employees (observed on Monday, June 19) and celebratory and educational activities.
In 2022, local activities included a recorded walking tour of the historic Southside neighborhood in Ithaca and a discussion on Juneteenth with Author Annette Gordon-Reed, both publicly available on the Tompkins County YouTube channel.