“We want to increase awareness of this truly defining moment in American history,” said Tiffany Rea-Fisher, a community activist in Harlem, who helped organize the City Hall rally. “The fact that so many people are still unaware of the holiday, or don’t really understand it, really speaks to whose stories get told — whose stories get repeated and woven into American history.”
2024 Juneteenth March 5K Run/Walk/Roll
The Juneteenth March was founded as a march to New York City Hall in 2020 to highlight multiple injustices and reforms at the center of the city's power. The march was initially started by James Felton Keith and Tiffany Rea-Fisher, two neighbors in Harlem that came together with a larger group of activists weeks earlier and after the murder of George Floyd. It was a beautiful non-violent march from Harlem down 5th Ave to the Upper East Side of Manhattan that grew to thousands of New Yorkers as it moved south, ending just blocks from where the 5K will start in Central Park.
All proceeds from the Juneteenth March go towards the building fund of the Harlem Center. The center is a 10-year effort started by a coalition of New York centered, community based organizations (CBOs). Harlem Center will increase the capacity to address unmet needs and gaps in service delivery.
2023 Juneteenth March 5K Run Walk & Roll
EMERGE125 had an amazing time volunteering at the fourth annual Juneteenth 5K, co-organized by E125, James Felton Keith, and Harlem Run! We are thrilled to share that there were 1,110+ participants this year, triple the amount from last year!! Congratulations to all! A special thank you to Company Member, Alisa Gregory for her hard work planning this fantastic event. Proceeds from the Juneteenth 5K Run, Walk, Roll go towards the funding to build the Harlem Center, an affordable/workforce development project.
Juneteenth is a special day of celebration not only for our nation's history but for EMERGE125. We are already looking forward to next year's event!!
2022 Juneteenth March 5K Run Walk & Roll
The company had an amazing time volunteering at the Annual Juneteenth 5K, co-organized by EMERGE125, James Felton Keith, and Harlem Run! We are proud to be a part of an event that celebrates the recent proclamation to make June 19th both a Federal and State holiday. Thank you to those who participated, donated, and volunteered! We enjoyed a beautiful day in Central Park and are already looking forward to next year!
Juneteenth 2021 | Dual Homes
In 2021, EMERGE125 celebrated Juneteenth in both Harlem and Lake Placid, NY! Participating in this holiday has become a new tradition for the company as we plan to celebrate in our dual homes for many more years to come.
Juneteenth 5K Walk/Run & BBQ | Harlem
E125 sponsored the 1st Annual Juneteenth 5K Walk/Run & BBQ, a Harlem based event that was created to celebrate the liberation of enslaved people in the U.S. in collaboration with James Felton Keith, Harlem Run, Harlem Pride, Black Dance Change Makers, and more! The 5K concluded with the outstanding Marching Cobras and a film screening of Summer of Soul by Questlove in Marcus Garvey Park. Hundreds of people showed up and showed out for this momentous event.
Juneteenth Celebration | Lake Placid
Meanwhile, in upstate New York, E125 company members performed an excerpt from Emerged Nation to the Lake Placid community for their Juneteenth Celebration, hosted by John Brown Lives! and located at the John Brown Farm State Historic Site. We are extremely honored and proud to be a part of this impactful holiday in both Harlem and Lake Placid, NY.
Juneteenth 2020
Dance Enthusiast: Juneteenth March: Call for 1 Million Demonstrators at City Hall and Further Discussion on the Role of Race in the Arts (June 12, 2020)
“Following the Juneteenth march, Rea-Fisher will further her role as a community organizer and artist throughout the summer with a wide variety of events aimed at furthering the narrative on race and its role in the arts and dance continuum.”
Dance Magazine: Join NYC Dance Leaders in the Juneteenth March for "Justice, Dignity and Equity" (June 16, 2020)
“Rea-Fisher, who identifies as both an artist and a community organizer, intends for the event to lead to further conversations about issues of race in America and within the dance community.”
Dance Magazine: “Join NYC Dance Leaders in the Juneteenth March for "Justice, Dignity and Equity" (June 16th, 2020)
New York Daily News: ‘Freedom is not negotiable’: Wave of brutality protests puts new spotlight on Juneteenth holiday (June 18, 2020)
Spectrum News NY1: Juneteenth, the Holiday that Celebrates the End of Slavery, Takes on Greater Significance Because of Protests (June 17th, 2020)
Era of the Best Dressed Protest
100 Black Men for George Floyd’s Funeral
A peaceful demonstration in Harlem, NYC, organized by neighbors through social media:
Ebony Boir Collins, Harold Waight, Brandon Murphy, Gabriel Garmon, James Felton Keith, Tiffany Rea-Fisher, Corey Ortega, and
William Allen.
