What: Tomorrow, the Town of Stratford, local and state elected officials and community leaders will attend Stratford’s Juneteenth Flag-Raising ceremony on the Town Hall Green. The Town will honor the importance of Juneteenth, an upcoming holiday observed on Friday, June 19, 2016, that commemorates the emancipation of enslaved African Americans in our nation. It marks June 19, 1865, when Union troops arrived in Galveston, Texas, to enforce the Emancipation Proclamation and free the last enslaved people in the United States. Although President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863, it wasn’t enforced in the Confederate state of Texas until more than two years later. Juneteenth honors the true realization of universal freedom and equality for all U.S. citizens and serves as a reminder of our ongoing efforts to form a more perfect union.
Who:
- Stratford Mayor David Chess
- State Sen. Jason Perillo, 21st District
- State Rep. Joe Gresko, 121st District
- State Rep. Kaitlyn Shake, 120th District
- Anthony Afriyie, Chair of the Stratford Town Council
- William Boyd, Councilman, District 3
- RenéGibson, Councilwoman, District 4
- Lisa Carroll-Fabian, Councilwoman, District 7
- Jill D’Angelo-Powers, Chair of the Stratford Board of Education
- Kristen Zapata, Board of Education Member
- Mike Fiorello, Board of Education Member
- Tyler Mack, Stratford Housing Authority Commissioner
- Walter Owusu, Health Educator at Stratford Health Department
- Andre Brown, Recreation Superintendent at Stratford Recreation Department
- Paul Tavaras, Community Leader
- Nikkya Hargrove, Editor and Chief of the Stratford Crier, and owner Obodo Serendipity Books
- Kevin O’Neil, Frenchies Cafe Owner and Community Leader
- Don Smart, Civil Rights Attorney and Community Leader
- Ken Pugh, Community Leader
- Stephanie Philips, Statewide Governor for Rotary and Community Leader
- Deborah Caviness, PRESIDENT at Greater Bridgeport OIC
- Chase Baker, Mr. Juneteenth of Juneteenth Bridgeport
- Cynthia Griffin, Founder of Juneteenth Bridgeport
When: Thursday, June 18, 2026, at 9:00 AM
Where: Stratford Town Hall Green, 2725 Main St, Stratford, CT 06615
