From The Durand-Hedden House & Garden Association:
Celebrate Juneteenth in Maplewood with historical reenactors, musical performances, and children’s activities on Sunday, June 23 from 1 to 5 pm.
The Durand-Hedden House & Garden Association and The South Orange-Maplewood Community Coalition on Race invite all community members to celebrate this important holiday at Grasmere Park, the beautiful grounds surrounding Durand-Hedden House, 523 Ridgewood Road, Maplewood.
Activities will include historical reenactors, learning about the history of enslaved people in New Jersey, and musical performances. Children can enjoy face painting, crafts and storytelling. Delicious food will be available for sale.
Visitors can view the exhibit Slavery in New Jersey: A Troubled History, which provides historical context for Juneteenth and the history of enslaved people in New Jersey. The book, based on the exhibit and written by Durand-Hedden President Gail R. Safian and designed by John Branigan, earned the Kevin M. Hale Publications Award from the League of Historical Societies of New Jersey and is now part of the social studies curriculum in Maplewood/South Orange.
The event is free and all are welcome. Pre-registration is appreciated at DurandHedden.org.
About Durand-Hedden House and Garden
The Durand-Hedden House and Garden Association is Maplewood’s historic house museum, dedicated to creating engaging and informative educational programs and materials about the local history of Maplewood and surrounding communities, natural history, and other related topics. The House, at 523 Ridgewood Road, Maplewood, is open once a month between September and June. For more information visit our website at durandhedden.org. To arrange group tours, write to info@durandhedden.org. You can also find us on Facebook and Twitter.
About the SOMA Community Coalition on Race
The South Orange/Maplewood Community Coalition on Race is a nationally recognized non-profit organization that envisions a community that is a model for the nation in which people of different races, ethnic groups, and backgrounds can interact, form friendships, and participate fully in the community’s economic, political, civic, educational, and cultural life. The Coalition creates strategies to support stably integrated residential neighborhoods, advocates for racial equity and excellence for all students in the schools, and brings the community together to learn, to build relationships across racial and cultural barriers, and to celebrate differences. The Coalition’s website is www.communitycoalitiononrace.org.
