Juneteenth celebrated at Penfield High School

PENFIELD, N.Y. (WHEC) – Students gathered with community members for a Juneteenth celebration.

The Penfield High School Black Student Union put together a presentation honoring the holiday on Wednesday. There were student speakers, dancing, slam poetry and musical performances of Stevie Wonder’s, “Don’t You Worry ‘Bout a Thing" and “At Last,” by Etta James.

Juneteenth, officially Juneteenth National Independence Day and also known as Jubilee Day, Emancipation Day, Freedom Day, and Black Independence Day, is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the emancipation of enslaved African Americans. It is also often observed for celebrating African American culture.

The day was recognized as a federal holiday on June 17, 2021, when President Joe Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act into law.

Along with Juneteenth, the school will also celebrate Caribbean-American Heritage Month and Pride Month in June.

See the full presentation here.