Backyard Bash Brings Black Triumphs Alive

Juneteenth on Ivy Street spanned centuries.

The intimate walk-through celebration at the Ivy Narrow Bird Habitat was hosted by the Amistad Committee and Connecticut 29th Colored Regiment C.V. Infantry.

Organizers Jackie Buster, Kai Perry, Kelly Mero, and Meredith Benson had originally canceled the event due to safety concerns about hosting a large gathering amidst Covid-19. When the nationwide Black Lives Matter protest began, the organizers decided it was necessary to put the event on.

“There’s not enough opportunity to celebrate as Black people. We are often grieving or fighting the battle of oppression,” said Perry.

This is the third year the organizers have hosted a Juneteenth celebration. This year’s gathering pushed visitors to walk through the celebration to get information on work being done by organizations throughout New Haven, then tune in on a Facebook live broadcast with speakers.

Babz Rawls Ivy hosted a series of live interviews on WNHH FM with invited guests on the front porch of 205 – 207 Ivy St. Topics ranged from voter education, police brutality, helping kids understand racism, and policy-based social change.

To kick off the gathering, Reginald Hoffler led the group in a prayer and libation.

“I pore this libation for everyone of color, of every color, religion, nationality, gender, sexual orientation, and class who seeks lasting peace in our country today,” he said.

Audra Clark, New Haven Reads Science Park site director, distributed free books for visiting families. Many of the books pictured black and brown families which Clark intentionally picked and offered at the celebration. Options were offered for pre‑K through high school students.

In Daddy’s Arms I Am Tall and Aunt Flossie’s Hats (and Crab Cakes Later) were titles amongst the pile.

A mother and her 7‑year-old daughter picked up a copy of Aunt Flossie’s Hats (and Crab Cakes Later) from Clark. ​“It stuck out because I can still remember my own grandmother’s favorite church hats to this day. I’m hoping she can read it with her grandmother and get a piece of that Black nostalgia,” said mother Keisha Edwards.

“We always want to take the opportunity to motivate and uplift the kids who look like the ones on these books,” said Clark.

Edwards stopped at the event with her daughter to take a break from running errands. ​“I tell her [daughter] that today is a holiday celebrating Black power,” she said.

Marcellus Edwards Basileus of Chi Omicron Chapter Omega Psi Phi Fraternity joined his brothers at the celebration handing out masks to visitors.

Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority and Delta Sigma Theta Sorority were also amongst the Greek support shown at the event.

Rawls-Ivy chatted with many including retired police officer Jeffrey Fletcher, who brought along with him a collection of historical African American artifacts and memorabilia. Fletcher’s exhibit, known as ​“The Badge Beneath the Robe,” will soon be displayed at the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History & Culture.

Check out the video below for interviews by Babz with Dr. Tamiko Jackson-McArthur, Sun Queen, Nancy Hill, Gary Winfield, Jeffery Fletcher, Dori Dumas, and Kai Perry.

Rodney Moore, coordinator of New Haven Healthy Start Male Involvement, talked with visitors about the Healthy Start father’s program. For the celebration, Moore highlighted the importance of respecting Black men as fathers and creating a healthy Black family dynamic.

With Moore was Juan Acevedo, who has been a part of the father program for nearly two years now. Father of three, Acevedo got help with managing child support and building a healthy relationship with his kids and their mother.

Kiyama Movement founder Michael Jefferson tabled alongside his brothers of the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity. Jefferson highlighted the Black Men Vote Too initiative. ​“We work to get Black men involved in electoral politics as sophisticated voters,” he said.

Jefferson provided information on voter education at the Juneteenth celebration as an effort to ​“develop our black community,” he said.

Antoinette Badillo, NAACP Greater New Have political action chair, tabled with President Dori Dumas, registering eligible visitors to vote. Badillo brought along 100 registration forms and encouraged New Haveners to register to have their voices heard. ​“It’s especially important because our ancestors fought for this right. Why give up the opportunity?” she said. A free Juneteenth face mask was given to each person who registered.

The pair also provided visitors with information on the 2020 census. ​“We want them to understand that the census helps to resource our communities. We all deserve to be counted,” Dumas said. ​“Being engaged is empowering.”

Badillo and Dumas talked with one visitor, Divonne, who expressed his distrust for the government and therefore efforts like the census. ​“You guys remember Tuskegee,” he said, referring to the Tuskegee syphilis experiment.

“I remember and you remember Tuskegee, which is why we need to do this,” said Dumas. ​“If we want better things like streets, after-school programs, and hospital services, we have to be counted.”

In an effort to highlight local black-owned businesses, Rhythm Brewing Co. was invited to table. Rhythm Brewing is Connecticut’s first African-American woman-owned beer company.

Elaine Berrios, Rhythm Brewing Co. operations manage,r distributed cards for the company and face mask to purchase. ​“It’s great to be in a space with people who think like you,” said Berrios.

The Amistad Committee’s Connecticut Freedom Trail brought along historical journals for purchase about historical efforts made by New Haven communities during the civil rights era, in the Black Panther party, and events of the slave ship La Amistad.

Amistad Committee member Clinton Robinson spoke with visitors that stopped by the table about the importance of sharing the correct interpretation of black history.

Robinson grew up with an interest in the civil rights era and joined the NAACP as a lifetime member at 14. ​“These here share the gospel of black history,” he said of the various journals for sale.

A bronze Amistad statue was also for purchase. The hefty triangular sculpture pictured Joseph Cinqué with the words ​“Make us Free.”

Buster, who owns the Ivy Street property is a descendant of five soldiers from the 54th and 29th Civil War regiments.

“Juneteenth is different this year and will continue to be after this year. This is a turning point for Black America. We are unapologetically pushing for a global revolution,” said Benson. ​“This is a new renaissance.”

Click here and here for more interviews at the celebration on WNHH’s Facebook.