A Unique Juneteenth Celebration Comes to the Center!

The Elizabethtown Social Center, in partnership with the North Country Underground Railroad Historical Association, is thrilled to present “The Many Faces of Freedom: A Juneteenth Look at the American Revolution” - a panel and community conversation.

The program came about organically when a small group of community members - inspired by Juneteenth and our country’s 250^th anniversary – met over a period of several months. We explored how the Declaration of Independence inspired hope and laid the foundation for eventual freedom for all people in the United States. And we explored the contradictions inherent in the words “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness” in 1776, when they directly included only about 15% of the population!

We grew to appreciate that the meaning of freedom varies tremendously depending on whose perspective we viewed it from - Colonists, enslaved people, Native Americans and women. Some sought economic freedom, others religious freedom, others freedom from slavery, to vote or own land.

In our community conversation, we will ask what freedoms are most important to you. And in what ways are we still searching for freedom. We hope the conversation will lead to a meaningful reflection on the nation’s history and the continuing responsibility to preserve freedom, civic engagement, and community understanding for future generations.

The program will also connect these national conversations to the history of the North Country and Lake Champlain region.

Panelists include:

Jacqueline Madison, North Country Underground Railroad Historical Association

Peter Slocum, Adirondack History Museum

Ceci Scott

Laurie House, Elizabethtown Social Center

Quote Reader: Tatum Brearton

Time & Place:

Elizabethtown Social Center, 7626 US Route 9, (518) 873-6408

6:30pm, Wednesday, June 17

KIDS ARE WELCOME at a simultaneous cooking event for youth. Parents may drop their kids at the class and attend the panel and conversation.  Kids will make Juneteenth themed drinks and snacks and then serve them to the audience after the show.

History Of Juneteenth:

Presented as part of the broader Juneteenth celebration across the region, this event honors June 19, 1865 — the day enslaved African Americans in Texas finally learned of their freedom more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation. Juneteenth serves as both a celebration and a reminder that freedom has often been hard fought, delayed, and unfinished.