By Anne Levin

This past Monday, Princeton Council passed a resolution “officially commemorating Juneteenth of Each Year as an Annual Celebration of Black Emancipation.”

The unanimous vote by the governing body couldn’t have been more timely. In Princeton and its environs, events recognizing the June 19 commemoration of the ending of slavery in America are in the final planning stages. Options throughout the weekend include a block party, a screening, a bike ride, a Shabbat service, and a three-day, city-wide celebration in Trenton.

Juneteenth marks the date in 1865 when Union soldiers landed in Galveston, Texas, with news that the Civil War had ended, and the enslaved were free. According to the Smithsonian website, “On ‘Freedom’s Eve,’ or the eve of January 1, 1863, the first Watch Night services took place. On that night, enslaved and free African Americans gathered in churches and private homes all across the country awaiting news that the Emancipation Proclamation had taken effect.

“At the stroke of midnight, prayers were answered as all enslaved people in Confederate States were declared legally free. Union soldiers, many of whom were Black, marched onto plantations and across cities in the south reading small copies of the Emancipation Proclamation spreading the news of freedom in Confederate States. Only through the Thirteenth Amendment did emancipation end slavery throughout the United States.

“But not everyone in Confederate territory would immediately be free. Even though the Emancipation Proclamation was made effective in 1863, it could not be implemented in places still under Confederate control. As a result, in the westernmost Confederate state of Texas, enslaved people would not be free until much later. Freedom finally came on June 19, 1865, when some 2,000 Union troops arrived in Galveston Bay, Texas. The army announced that the more than 250,000 enslaved Black people in the state were free by executive decree. This day came to be known as ‘Juneteenth,’ by the newly freed people in Texas.”

Local commemorations begin on Friday, June 18 at 8 p.m. with a special Shabbat service at Temple Beth Chaim, 329 Village Road East in Princeton Junction. Attend virtually or in person to hear Pastor Kahil Carmichael of Live Well Church as guest preacher, focusing on the meaning of freedom, celebration, and the collective duty of working toward justice for all. For Zoom information, email bethchaimrj@gmail.com.

The Hopewell Valley Arts Council hosts a screening Friday at 8:30 p.m. of the 30-minute documentary Juneteenth — A Celebration of Freedom, at Titusville’s Woolsey Park. Presented in partnership with the Hopewell, Mercer County, and Pennington libraries, and produced by the Texas Institute for the Preservation of History and Culture, the film will be followed by a talk from representatives of the new Stoutsburg Sourland African American Museum.

“As we reflect on this important time in our history, we hope to be inspired to continue working toward racial and cultural equity in our country,” said Carol Lipson, executive director of the Hopewell Valley Arts Council, in a press release.

The event is free, but donations are appreciated. Bring a folding chair or blanket. The gate, at 221 Washington Crossing-Pennington Road, opens at 8 p.m. Visit hvartscouncil.org for more information.

On Saturday, bicyclists can take part in an 8-mile, 30-mile, or 50-mile ride as part of the Inaugural Juneteenth Freedom Day Ride starting at Trenton’s Mill Hill Park. Presented by Let’s Ride Foundation and Samuel Mccoy III Scholarship Fund, the rides conclude with a lunch reception at 1911 Smokehouse. Registration begins in the park on Front Street at 7:30 a.m. Visit juneteenthridenj.com for more information. The $40 fee includes a T-shirt, a commemorative photo, water, and snacks during the ride, and lunch.

The field at the Princeton Family YMCA is the site of a block party on Saturday from 4-7 p.m. Sponsored by the YMCA, Princeton University’s Lewis Center for the Arts, Princeton University Art Museum, Princeton Public Library, and the Arts Council of Princeton, the event — now in its second year — will showcase Black poets, musicians, speakers, and activists helping to educate people on how to take positive action in their communities. Visit artscouncilofprinceton.org for more information.

Festivities last through the weekend at Trenton’s Mill Hill Park, featuring several performers and beginning Friday at 12 p.m. Crystal Feliciano, Grace Little, James White, Brook Alford, Gerald Veasly, and Marcus Johnson are among those scheduled to take part in the celebration, which is sponsored by the African American Culture Collaborative of Mercer County in partnership with Senator Shirley Turner, Assemblywoman Verlina Reynolds Jackson, and Assemblyman Anthony Verrelli along with the Outdoor Equity Alliance.

“The goal of the collaborative is to educate, empower, and unite Africans in the diaspora through cultural arts, health and wellness, entertainment, and sports,” according to a release. “The purpose of this carefully planned and socially distanced event is to highlight a few very poignant and current issues through the displays of culture, collaboration, commerce, unity, and education. We are working closely with the City of Trenton and other partners to ensure public safety.”

Visit taacf.com for more information.