Deidre Kirkem (left) and Katrina Hodge, co-chairs of the Cortland County Community of Color (C4), are holding the annual Juneteenth celebration event this weekend. (Photo provided by Timothy A. Bennett, Owner & Publisher of The Cortland Voice).
The third annual Juneteenth celebration is slated to be held this weekend.
The event, hosted by the Cortland County Community of Color (C4), is scheduled for 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday at Courthouse Park in the city of Cortland. C4 is a collaborative initiative between SUNY Cortland and Tompkins Cortland Community College (TC3).
“I’m very excited, especially since we made such tremendous progress over the years and the positive impact it has made for Cortland County and its allies within the community,” said Katrina Hodge, the co-chair of C4, and the assistant director of multicultural life and diversity at SUNY Cortland.
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A Brief History of Juneteenth (via the C4 Instagram page)
On June 19, we reflect on and celebrate the freedom and independence of African-Americans in America and around the world. Juneteenth was first celebrated in Texas in 1865 and has since spread across the United States and worldwide. This day is celebrated nationwide as a day of hope, remembrance, and motivation.
Why is Juneteenth celebrated on the 19 of June, instead of September 22, when President (Abraham) Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation? It was on June 18 that the Union Army marched into Galveston, Texas, and enforced President Lincoln’s emancipation. Since then, celebrations in Galveston have been among the largest Juneteenth celebrations in the world.
Now a national holiday, seeing the support of this day from other community members shows Black Americans that they no longer need to struggle or fight for equity alone.
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Dr. Tracy Hudson – an assistant professor of physical education who joined SUNY Cortland in 2021 as a SUNY Diversity Fellow – will be the keynote speaker at Saturday’s Juneteenth event.
Dr. Erik Bitterbaum, president of SUNY Cortland, and Dr. Amy Kremenek, president of TC3, will also speak at the event.
Brunch will be served at the event. It will also include games, music and giveaways.
“Seeing us flourish the way we have is exciting,” said Deidre Kirkem, co-chair of C4 who is part of TC3’s staff. “It’s something I’m looking forward to, especially in a predominantly white community. Having an event as big as this to tell them that our voices are here to be heard, that’s the thing that’s really moving to me about this event.”
(Photo provided by the Cortland County Community of Color (C4)).
