Community members gathered last week Wednesday evening as the Freeport-Roosevelt National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) hosted its Summer Blast fundraiser, kicking off local Juneteenth celebrations while raising support and advocacy for the chapter.
Held at Choice for All in Roosevelt, the event brought together residents, elected officials, NAACP members and youth leaders for an evening focused on community, culture and the significance of Juneteenth.
Juneteenth honors June 19, 1865, when Union soldiers arrived in Galveston, Texas, and informed enslaved African Americans that they were free, more than two years after President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation.
Founded in 1909 by an interracial collection of civil rights activists and journalists, the NAACP is the nation’s oldest and largest civil rights organization. Through advocacy, education and community engagement, the organization has played a major role in advancing voting rights and social justice throughout its existence.
The Freeport-Roosevelt chapter has long served as an advocate for residents through voter education and youth programs in the community. The Summer Blast fundraiser continues on that mission by helping provide resources for residents and bringing individuals together to celebrate and reflect on Juneteenth’s history.
For Freeport-Roosevelt NAACP President Donna Raphael, Juneteenth serves as both a celebration and an opportunity for reflection.
“Juneteenth is a very special time for our community to come together and celebrate not only our heritage and our culture, but also to be with families,” Raphael said. “This is a great time for us to have discussions around equity.”
Raphael said proceeds from the fundraiser will support many chapter goals, such as voter registration, civic engagement and assistance for local students.
“We want to make sure individuals know what their rights are and where polling stations are,” she said. “The other thing we are fundraising for is for our youth. Whether it’s a scholarship or if there’s a child in need, we want to make sure we can assist.”
Raphael also emphasized the importance of helping residents understand the deeper meaning behind Juneteenth. “I hope people begin to realize that Black history is American history. History is happening everyday, every moment, and I want people to embrace that.”
Nassau County Legislator Debra Mulé, who attended the fundraiser, said educating the public about Juneteenth remains important as discussions about history continue across the country.
“What we are seeing right now in our country is an attempt to literally whitewash history,” Mulé said. “That’s why it’s critically important for not only the youth, but all of us, to learn about these events and the people who sacrificed so much.”
Christine Waters, the second vice president of the Freeport-Roosevelt NAACP and education chair of the NAACP New York State Conference, described Juneteenth as a celebration of both freedom and empowerment.
“It’s about liberation and being free, and knowing that we have to be able to free ourselves and be able to support each other,” Waters said. “We take a lot of time to give knowledge so that people can understand that knowledge is power, and that power is in freedom and liberation.”
Jared Bermudez, president of the youth council of the NAACP Freeport-Roosevelt region, stressed the importance of unity and coming together as a community.
“Not only should we take these events to remember, we should also use them to celebrate the community. We should all be tight knit,” Bermudez said. “We are all in the same place, we should all be connected. Once we are not connected, division is what we’re going to see. We are only going to see the absence of unity.”
As attendees gathered to celebrate, chapter leaders expressed hope that the event would not only honor the past but also inspire continued civic engagement.
