Somerset County To Celebrate Juneteenth At Courthouse

SOMERVILLE, NJ — Somerset County will celebrate Juneteenth at the historic Somerset County Courthouse green on Thursday, June 17.

The event will include a dramatic reading of a letter written by James Baldwin who is a renowned author, essayist, playwright and grandson of a slave; an original skit about historical events will be performed by local youth; poetry will be read; and Lieutenant Governor Sheila Oliver will deliver a keynote address.

The celebration will be held at 6 p.m. at 20 N Bridge St. in Somerville.

Juneteenth, a holiday commemorating the end of slavery, is now also a state holiday. In September 2020, Gov. Phil Murphy signed legislation that designates the third Friday in June as a state and public holiday.

Last year, the holiday was put in the public spotlight as people around Somerset County shut down two major highways in the county during a protest demanding social change and police reform in the wake of George Floyd's death. Read More: Juneteenth Protesters Shut Down 2 Major Somerset County Highways

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