SCRANTON, LACKAWANNA CO. (WOLF) — From honoring the past to building community for the future, the Black Scranton Project celebrated seven years, as it hosted a Juneteenth Open House.
Seven years after its founding on Juneteenth, the Black Scranton Project continues to bring people together through art, culture, history, music, and community engagement. To celebrate both the organization’s anniversary and the Juneteenth holiday, the community gathered to recognize the day’s importance and the positive impact the nonprofit has made throughout the region.
Juneteenth, on June 19, commemorates the end of slavery in the United States. The holiday marks the day in 1865 when enslaved people in Texas learned they were free, more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation.
To celebrate the occasion, the Black Scranton Project welcomed the community for conversation, music, refreshments, and a look at the organization’s work. Founder and CEO of the Black Scranton Project, Glynis Johns, shared more.
“We’re a local nonprofit, founded on Juneteenth of 2019. And ever since then, we’ve been dedicated to archiving, celebrating the local black history of the Scranton area. And the first much event we’ve done was, Juneteenth brunch. And ever since then, this is the eighth time we’ve done a Juneteenth event. And this year I wanted to switch it up. Just do an open house, allow people to come into the space, kind of see some of the things that we’ve done over the year, create community,” said Johns.
Johns also explained the decision to take a different approach to this year’s Juneteenth celebration, emphasizing the importance of creating a peaceful space for reflection, connection, and honoring the meaning of Freedom Day.
“I just wanted to have more space this year to connect with the community, talk with friends, invite people to be on our leadership boards, volunteers and just kind of have more conversations about Juneteenth and the things we want to see in the community. So, slowing it down, rest is really important to Freedom Day,” said Johns.
Johns encourages more people to get involved, saying the nonprofit aims to grow its reach while continuing to celebrate culture and community throughout the region.
“They can follow us on social media. They can grab a business card with their info, or they can sign up to volunteer. Talk to me, talk to our team, and we’d be happy to get you guys involved. We’re in a space where we’re trying to grow the organization, get more people involved, because it’s great to have these events. But it’s hard when we don’t have the people to help make it go. So, this year, I really want to focus on building a family, building a team, and keeping the fun, the traditions, the culture alive here in Northeastern Pennsylvania,” said Johns.
The Juneteenth Open House at the Black Scranton Project continued through 6 p.m., with Johns saying attendance exceeded expectations.
