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Tuesday, June 22, 2021 - 5:18 pm
The crowd at the Juneteenth celebration of African American freedom sings “We are Family.”
POTSDAM – More than 500 people attended the second annual Juneteenth Celebration hosted by Black Lives Matter Potsdam NY and the Potsdam Juneteenth Organizing Committee on June 19 at Ives Park.
Attendees enjoyed a day of engaging culture discussions regarding Black history. Black culture, a Black Beauty Fashion Show featuring 21 children and adults modeling traditional African clothing. A special guest appearance by Reggae and R&B recording artist D Major was a surprise feature facilitated by the Adirondack Diversity Initiative, delighting the energetic crowd.
Three local civil rights leaders and a young civil rights activist were honored for their work to improve racial equality in St. Lawrence County during the cultural event.
Mar 15, 2021
This weekend was the first anniversary of Breonna Taylor’s killing by Louisville, Kentucky police. Taylor was a Black 26-year-old who was shot five times when police burst into her apartment. People across the country held vigils in remembrance.
In Potsdam, about twenty people gathered outside the post office. It was a blustery and sunny Saturday afternoon. Jen Baxtron, leader of Black Lives Matter Potsdam, spoke into a megaphone.
She spoke about Breonna Taylor, police injustice, and the ways that systemic racism seeps into all aspects of everyday life.
A group of about twenty people stood around her. Everyone was safely spaced apart and wearing masks. Some masks read “Black Lives Matter.” People held large signs with different statements like, Say Her Name Breonna Taylor . One said, We Are Not Trying To Start A Race War. We re Trying To End One.