Middletown hosted its second Juneteenth parade on Wednesday, drawing hundreds of people sporting Juneteenth-themed T-shirts on one of the hottest days of the year.
Families cheered on local dance groups, drum lines and community members in the parade, presented by the Middletown Ujima Alliance.
Juneteenth commemorates the day when Union troops arrived in Galveston, Texas, in 1865 to announce that all enslaved African Americans had been freed by executive decree.
A festival followed the parade. Lawn signs with quick facts about Juneteenth and Black history lined Harbor Park, where food trucks and local vendors had set up booths.
Before the emcee kicked off events, Middletown Mayor Benjamin Florsheim read a proclamation.
“Slaves were known to have been bought and sold on Middletown’s Main Street,” read the proclamation, which detailed Middletown’s direct involvement in the slave trade.
Florsheim also acknowledged the city’s role as a “significant outpost on the Underground Railroad,” where abolitionists helped enslaved people travel up the Connecticut River and later led Middletown to become a sanctuary city.
“We celebrate the people who sacrificed and the strength and resilience of our community fighting for the progress that we have made,” said state Treasurer Erick Russell after the mayor’s proclamation. “We also recognize the rampant inequality and so much of the work that is yet to be done.”
“It’s good to see the community coming together and seeing the kids being more active and understanding,” said Middletown resident Betty Leary. Credit: Shahrzad Rasekh / CT Mirror
Performers and parade-goers lined up for water and sweets from Mama Mia’s Ice Cream after the parade ended. Credit: Shahrzad Rasekh / CT Mirror