New Kensington community to celebrate Juneteenth

The New Kensington community will come together Saturday to celebrate Juneteenth, a holiday that commemorates the end of slavery in the United States.

An event featuring free food, activities, speakers and music will mark the holiday at Mt. Calvary Missionary Baptist Church in New Kensington.

“Juneteenth is a reminder that the Black community is resilient,” said Darryl Johnson, the church’s pastor. “We’ve been through some hardships, but with the Lord on our side, we were able to grow stronger.”

The church is co-sponsoring the event with Knead Community Cafe, a pay-what-you-can restaurant in New Kensington.

“I’m a big believer in having unity, bringing people together of all colors and races,” said Kevin Bode, who co-founded the cafe with his wife, Mary. “I hate seeing all the divisiveness that’s happened around the country.

“I would like to think our area is better than that. I’ve seen a lot of positive things happen in New Kensington. I’d like to think this is a continuation of that — it brings people together.”

The restaurant will be offering free hot dogs at the event.

Speakers will give presentations about the importance of Juneteenth, Johnson said.

The Juneteenth holiday, marked on June 19, commemorates when the last enslaved African Americans learned that the confederacy had fallen — over two years after the Emancipation Proclamation.

The U.S. Senate passed a bill Tuesday that would make Juneteenth a federal holiday.

Johnson said it’s important for everyone to recognize that piece of history.

“We recognize who we are and what we’ve been through,” he said. “Everybody should know their heritage. Everybody should know what they come from.”

While Johnson said the Juneteenth event will be a fun way to bring the community together, he also said it will focus on the meaning of the holiday, spreading awareness about Juneteenth.

“We wanted to recognize, in New Kensington, Juneteenth as Emancipation Day,” said Jason Roman, an intern with Knead Cafe who helped to organize the event. “It would bring people together to recognize this day so there’s more awareness of this day. We can come closer together as a community to make the community better.”

There will be outdoor activities for kids, plus a snow cone cart, Roman said.

“People should expect a time for fun and food and sweet treats,” he said.

Cuddles for Kids, a local nonprofit that aims to help children, will be there with a pop-up free store, said Tiffany Booker, the organization’s vice president and director of development. The free store will offer donated items ranging from toothbrushes and deodorant to games and household items.

It also will give away summer fun bags — full of treats such as sidewalk chalk, bubbles, sunglasses and snacks — for the kids.

The organization has worked with Mt. Calvary Missionary Baptist Church before, Booker said, and was eager to participate in its Juneteenth celebration.

“Juneteenth is a great day to celebrate American history, a great day to give back,” she said.

Bode said he offers free hot dogs as a way to raise awareness about the pay-what-you-can restaurant. This year, he said, doing so in honor of Juneteenth will be special.

“As a Christian, we believe we should love everybody and not just look at someone’s color,” he said.