People on Long Island and on Connecticut are celebrating Juneteenth in honor of the end of slavery in the U.S.
A group of demonstrators gathered for a march from the New Haven Green to East Rock Park in Connecticut.
Addys Castillo, executive director of the citywide youth coalition, says the march helps expose the need for changing systems that keep people of color at a disadvantage.
“We celebrate Juneteenth, the day of actual emancipation here in the US, right? But our purpose, though, of actually going deeper into the campaigns that are currently being run by grassroots organizers here in the city in New Haven around canceling rent, the divestment from police and also reinvestment in communities.”
One of the instructions people were given today was to wear a mask and wear black. A couple of the organizers had bull horns and it wa organized by the same group that did a really large march about two weeks ago in New Haven down to the police station.
But they didn't go to the police station today. Instead they went to East Rock Park, where they had a festival set up with tents, music and food. They say that today is really about joy and liberation. They're celebrating being free.
Governor Ned Lamont signed an executive order today to commemorate Juneteenth and Connecticut’s Black community.
