READING, Pa. – A crowd gathered for a flag raising ceremony at Reading City Park to commemorate Juneteenth. The holiday commemorates the end of slavery in the U.S., and the day 1865, when slaves in Texas learned they were free.
A time of celebration and reflection.
“The men and women we honor today enjoyed hardships most of us can’t even imagine, yet they never gave up hope. They kept pushing forward, believing that their children and grandchildren deserved a better future,” says PA Rep. Johanny Cepeda Freytiz, 129th district (D).
A powerful reminder of a painful chapter in American history and the strength of those who endured it. Community members gathered in Reading City Park to raise a flag for Juneteenth, honoring the past while looking toward a brighter future.
“May this moment remind us not only of our history, but of the truth that when we stand together, lift one another, and keep moving forward, there is no limit to what we can overcome and achieve.”
The road to freedom came at a heavy cost and the struggle for equality and opportunity continues to resonate generations later.
“So, my pledge to you is: Reading, let’s all be free together. Let’s all stand together. Let’s all work together. Let’s become one strong united front that we will be the example of what everyone across this country is looking and starting to do.”
The observance extends beyond Friday’s ceremony. Community leaders, alongside the NAACP, will continue paying tribute by lighting City Hall and the Pagoda in red, black, yellow, and green this weekend.
“Reading is a city built by people from many different backgrounds, many different cultures. The diversity is one of our greatest strengths here in our city,” says the mayor of the City of Reading, Eddie Moran.