Burington County residents are invited to commemorate Juneteenth this year at a special event in historic Timbuctoo, one of New Jerey’s largest communities of formerly enslaved people, and Rancocas State Park.
Experience of a Lifetime – A Juneteenth Event will be held this Saturday, June 15, from 11 AM to 6 PM in Rancocas State Park and Timbuctoo. It will feature music, storytellers, dancers, food trucks and tastings, vendors and other entertainment. There will also be an opportunity to join immersive “freedom walks” through the park to learn about the challenges and experiences faced by freedom-seeking enslaved individuals.
The free event is being organized by the Underground Railroad Museum of Burlington County with support from the Burlington County Commissioners, Burlington County Parks System and New Jerey State Council on the Arts.
“On Juneteenth, we commemorate not only the end of slavery in the United States but also the triumphs and achievements of Black Americans in the face of racism,” said Burlington County Commissioner Director Felicia Hopson. “The Underground Railroad Museum’s event will be a fun, family-friendly festival that will also educate and enrich residents with stories about the struggles and triumphs of Black Americans, both here in Burlington County and across our nation. It’s an important event our County is proud to support.”
Deborah Price, executive director of the Underground Railroad Museum of Burlington County, said the event will provide visitors of all ages opportunities to learn about the Underground Railroad, Timbuctoo and the experiences of freedom-seeking people who fled enslavement.
“The days will provide opportunities for visitors to learn and experience the Underground Railroad from the freedom walkers’ perspective,” said Price. “We’re excited to have Burlington County’s support and the participation of a broad collection of organizations and storytellers, including the Still Foundation, Jacob’s Chapel, the Mott House, Croft Farms, the Timbuctoo Advisory Committee, Timbuctoo Historical Society and many more.”
The freedom walks will be held in Rancocas State Park at 11 AM, 1 PM and 3 PM. Each walk will be approximately 3.5 miles and will be guided by leaders and storytellers from the Underground Railroad Museum and other participating organizations.
Walkers should enter the park at 794 Rancocas-Mount Holly Road in Westampton.
The festival at historic Timbuctoo will be held at 710 Rancocas Road in Westampton, which is the site of the settlement. It was created in 1826 by escaped slaves and grew to have more than 125 residents, a school, church and cemetery with gravestones of Black soldiers who fought in the Civil War.
Earlier this year, Timbuctoo became one of the first 32 sites selected by the New Jersey Historical Commission to be promoted as part of the New Jersey Black Heritage Trail created to “promote awareness and appreciation of Black history, heritage and culture.”
Joining Timbuctoo on the initial Black Heritage Trail sites is also the Bethlehem A.M.E. Church in Burlington City, one of the oldest Black churches in New Jersey. In 1883, the church pastor, Rev. Jeremiah H. Pierce, successfully brought a lawsuit challenging the forced attendance of his four children at the city’s segregated Black elementary school.
The Dr. James Still Historic Office and Education Center in Medford was also selected for the Heritage Trail. The site is the former office of Still, the renowned Black Doctor of the Pines, who gained distinction for his successful biracial medical practice and his natural herbal remedies.
“Burlington County his full of important historic sites and people and we are thrilled that Timbuctoo, Bethlehem A.M.E. and the Dr. James Still Office were among the first sites selected for New Jersey’s Black Heritage Trail,” said Hopson. “Their selection will hopefully encourage more people to visit Burlington County and discover these important sites and their remarkable histories, along with other important Black historic sites in our county that also deserve to be listed.”
State Senator Troy Singleton, who co-sponsored the legislation that created New Jersey’s Black Heritage Trail, said the Black Heritage Trail and events like the Underground Railroad Museum’s Juneteenth celebration help educate more people about the struggle for freedom here in New Jersey and across the nation.
“Timbuctoo, the Dr. James Still Office and Bethlehem A.M.E Church are three of the most important historic sites in New Jersey,” said Senator Singleton. “Their selection for the Black Heritage Trail will introduce more residents to their significance. Likewise, the Underground Railroad Museum’s Juneteenth event will bring people together to reflect on the end of slavery but also the ongoing fight for civil rights that continues today.”
For a listing of other significant historic black sites around Burlington County, click here: http://www.co.burlington.nj.us/2067/African-American-Historic-Sites
The Underground Railroad Museum of Burlington County was founded in 2005 by the late Loiuse Calloway in a former café off East Union Street in Burlington City. The museum’s collection of artifacts, art and exhibits was relocated to its current home within Historic Smithville Park in 2013. For more information, contact the museum at info@hugrrmbc.org or call 609-914-1675.