(Scotch Plains, NJ)–The first Juneteenth community celebration sprang to life in Scotch Plains Saturday, June 19, 2021, with a spectrum of events celebrating the end of slavery in the U.S. and a restating of racial equity goals going forward.
The mayors and councils of Scotch Plains and Fanwood took part in the dedication ceremony, capping off months of planning by the local non-profit Social Justice Matters and a committee made up of volunteers and community leaders. The daylong program at the historic Shady Rest Country Club on Jerusalem Road featured a live martial arts demonstration, readings about black history, poetry, live music, and awards for several of the young artists who won the Juneteenth art design contest. There were also tours of the Shady Rest, the first African American golf club founded in 1921.
Author Robert Constant reads from his book
In its heyday, the Shady Rest was a hotspot of entertainment featuring headliners such as Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, Count Basie, and other jazz greats. Scotch Plains author Robert Constant read from his book “Hey Tuskegee,” a children’s story that teaches black history, at nearby Jerseyland Park.
Fanwood Mayor Colleen Mahr and Scotch Plains Mayor Josh Losardo, each accompanied by members of their town councils, made remarks supporting the new holiday and thanked the organizers.
