Juneteenth flag raising part of weeklong celebration of freedom
Jun. 16—Those Americans with African ancestry come from a culture filled with struggle and strife, victories and freedom, Dr. Paige Brookins said.
United, Blacks can be a force for change, she said.
"Our voice matters, our lives matter. Our vote matters and our people matter," Brookins said.
Brookins, who holds a doctoral degree in community leadership, is the city's director of health equity and a member of the Reading School Board.
She was the keynote speaker Friday at a Juneteenth ceremony and flag raising at City Hall.
More than 100 people gathered for the ceremony inside council chambers before moving outside for the flag raising at 815 Washington St.
The observance commemorates June 19, 1865, the date on which Union soldiers arrived in Galveston, Texas, and let the enslaved people there know they were free. Those slaves were believed to be the last to get the word, more than two years after President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation.
Juneteenth was made a federal holiday in 2021 by Congress and President Joe Biden.
The history of Blacks in the United States is integral to the history of the country, Brookins said, and throughout that history, people of color have fought for liberty and justice.
Brookins referenced the Buffalo Soldiers, Army regiments formed of Black men to serve on the American frontier in the 19th century, and two World War II-era U.S. military groups formed of African Americans, the Tuskegee Airmen and 761st Tank Battalion.
"Their motto was 'Come out fighting,' " she said of the latter. "It's the charge I have for you today. Continue to come out fighting."
Blacks have long been the driving force of change, creativity and equality in the U.S., she said, but it hasn't been easy.
"We may be tempted at times to throw in the towel and to give up the race," Brookins said. "It's a hard race that we're running. We may get knocked down, but we will not, I say it again, we will not as a people be destroyed."
The event included songs, prayers and proclamations and commendations by elected officials.
Speakers included Stacey Taylor, president of the Reading Branch NAACP and Reading Juneteenth; state Sen. Judy Schwank; state Reps. Manny Guzmann and Johanny Cepeda-Freytiz; City Council District 6 and 3 representatives, O. Christopher Miller and Melissa Ventura; Mayor Eddie Moran; and Lee Wilder, elder and assistant minister of St. James Church of God and Christ.
Camela Boykins of the Mary Alice Temple #108 of the Improved Benevolent Protective Order of Elks of the World, an African-American fraternal order, served as emcee.
Annette Hines led the singing of the anthem "Lift Every Voice and Sing."
The Rev. Marian P. Shearer of the United Church of Christ gave the invocation and led the concluding prayer.
Ryan Cooper read the Emancipation Proclamation, and Amari Bridges-Weaver explained the symbolism in the Juneteenth flag.
The flag stands for freedom and justice for Black Americans.
Its red, white and blue colors, those of the U.S. flag, are a reminder that African-American history is American history and that Black Americans were always Americans even while enslaved.
The single star on the flag is a symbol that Black people are free in all 50 states and is also a reference to Texas, called the Lone Star state, where the last group of enslaved people learned they were free.
The sunburst surrounding the star represents a new horizon and the future opportunities for Black people.
The weeklong celebration of Juneteenth began June 10 with a parade and continued through the week with a community art and discussion series.
Events will continue Saturday with a community family barbecue is scheduled from noon to 6 p.m. at Berks Lodge #47, 237 Walnut St. A closing celebration is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. Sunday at Zion Baptist Church, 224 Washington St.
