On June 19, 2023, the Ministerial Alliance of North Amityville and Vicinity (MANA), Suffolk County Town of Babylon joined together with other community organizations as “One Long Island”, to celebrate Juneteenth. The federal holiday which commemorates the emancipation of enslaved African Americans in the United States.

It was an extraordinary Juneteenth Celebration at Tanner Park, to see Clergy, politicians, community leaders, communities, churches, all together in unity and love. The event was an inspiring and uplifting celebration that included songs, recording artist Jeff Roberson, musical groups from local schools, African dance, speeches, and recognition and acknowledgment of community leaders with plaques and certificates, all to a packed gathering on a beautiful sunny day. It was a wonderful day to celebrate.

The President of MANA, Bishop Andy C. Lewter, a power keynote speaker at the event stated “In 1854 two failed political parties came together in this country one being the free soiled party and the other being the week party. Six years later they offered a candidate for the President of the United States by the name of Abraham Lincoln. Abraham Lincoln won that election of 1860, and just days after his inauguration the state of South Carolina succeeded from the union of these United States. In 1862. It became abundantly clear that the outcome of the war was uncertain, that prompted Abraham Lincoln to sign a declaration announcing that all slaves in southern states would be free. On December 31st of 1862, the first watch night service was held in churches across this country while we anticipated that on the next day, we would legally be free. The reality is that slaves in the southern states that did not benefit from modern communication were not aware that they were free. The Emancipation Proclamation resulted and opened the door for men of color to participate and what had now become the civil war. As scholars across this country now confess and admit that the war between the states would not have been won by the North without our participation. The limited communication resulted in slaves in the South not being aware that they had been set free. However, 2000 soldiers marched into Galveston TX on June 19th of 1865 and declared that every person of color in this country was free”.