A young woman makes fresh pinas coladas with cream, a popular festival food.
PHOTO: Constance Garcia-Barrio
By Constance Garcia-Barrio
The aroma of curry goat, fresh pinas coladas, and well-seasoned barbecued chicken eddied around food trucks, while love songs poured from the stage at the Germantown Juneteenth celebration on June 20.
Meanwhile, fashion booths beguiled the crowd with paint-box bright apparel. Along with enticing sounds and scents, some stands and visitors exuded not just joy, but a determination to protect the community –- especially young people — and preserve its traditions.The celebration, anchored by the historic Johnson House, 6303 Germantown Avenue, took place on the avenue between Washington Lane and Johnson Street. The festival commemorates June 19, 1865, when General Gordon Granger proclaimed freedom for the enslaved people of Galveston, Texas, months after the Civil War had ended.
Hanifah, a practitioner of the Auser Auset tradition from ancient Egypt, talks with a festival-goer about the jewelry and elixirs for sale.
PHOTO: Constance Garcia-Barrio
While antebellum freedom seekers relied on secrecy to reach their goal, some festivalgoers announced their stance by wearing tee shirts with logos like “Black Heroes Matter,” “Be who you are and let the world adjust,” and “God is hope.”
Cornelia Swinson, executive director of Johnson House, expanded on the message of steely optimism. Swinson mentioned challenges that the Johnson House has faced in recent years.
“We had limitations during COVID, then a grant we won in 2024 under the Biden administration was rescinded within days of President Trump’s taking office, no explanation given.”
The stone house, built between 1765 and 1768, once sheltered Black people fleeing from slavery.
“It’s a certified Underground Railroad site,” Swinson said. “Given its history, it’s an ideal place to celebrate Juneteenth. [The grant’s revocation] makes me more determined to go on. Hundreds of fourth and fifth graders tour this site each year. We will continue educating our children about the Underground Railroad.”
Vendors manned scores of stands offering education in other respects.
Hanifah, owner of Rise and Shine 999 and mother of seven children, displayed her jewelry and elixirs that could help ensure one’s wellbeing, she said. A member of Philadelphia’s Auser Auset Society, a pan-African spiritual organization, Hanifah was selling tonics containing tiny amounts of silver and gold. Ingesting small amounts of these precious metals can have “a healing effect on us spiritually, mentally, and physically by stimulating the life force and elevating our inner frequency,” according to a poster at Hanifah’s stand. She also makes jewelry designed to protect the wearers and help them achieve emotional balance, she said. For more information, contact [email protected].
Down the street, Brother John Muhammad, author of “Do You See Me Now?: The Cry of Black Youth in the 21st Century,” stressed the need to give young people attention.
Elizabeth Whatley, 86, from West Philly, shows one of the walking sticks she fashions from tree branches.
PHOTO: Constance Garcia-Barrio
“I have 25 years of experience in youth ministry,” Muhammad, youth coordinator for 1995 Million Man March, said. “Young people want to be seen, heard, and valued. Stop trying to be their friend. Give them discipline.” Muhammad delivers presentations in middle schools, high schools and colleges. Learn more about his organization at: https://gangmovement.com/.
At a nearby stand, a representative of Men Who Care of Germantown (MWCOG) of Germantown, Inc., a community-based nonprofit, spoke of the importance of advocating for youth and families.
Men Who Care of Germantown (MWCOG)
PHOTO: MWCOG
“We go into six schools [in Northwest Philadelphia] and have conversations with students [from the fourth grade on],” said Aaron Drummond, a member of MWCOG for two years. “We create a safe zone in schools where constructive conversations can take place, often with vulnerable young people”
In weekly discussions, students can talk about issues that concern them.
“For example, a young man was killed some weeks ago,” Drummond said. “We might ask students, ‘How does that make you feel?’ They have a chance to air their feelings in a supportive setting.”
For Drummond and his colleagues, the payoff is seeing young people thrive.
“It’s exciting to see that you can actually make a difference in their lives,” he said.
MWCOG also offers vocational programs in fields like plumbing and electrical work, as well as scholarships for students who want to attend college.
Brother John Muhammad, who has worked with young people for 25 years, stands with his daughter Laila. He discussed his book, “Do you see me now?”, which presents his ideas about relating to young people.
PHOTO: Constance Garcia-Barrio
This summer, MWCOG has partnered with Associated Resources for Community Schools to provide a free youth day camp for peace and social justice. Open to students from the 5th through the 8th grades, the day camp will run from July 7 through July 31, from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Free breakfast and lunch will be served. For details, contact Clayton Justice at: (215) 888-8435, or [email protected], or Joe Budd at: (267) 784-7975, or [email protected].
MWCOG also distributes food on Saturdays at its headquarters, 180 E. Tulpehocken Street, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. To learn about program eligibility, contact Bruce Ford at: [email protected].
While concern for the next generation stood out at the festival, artist Elizabeth Whatley, Ph.D’s unique walking sticks are steeped in the Black tradition of woodworking.
“Making these sticks began with conversations on the porch with my grandmother,” said Whatley, 86, of Cobbs Creek. “She came from South Carolina to Philly in the 1930s. We would be sitting on the porch. She would talk and I would whittle,” Whatley, who creates art with sticks, twigs, and other found objects, said. “Some of these walking sticks came from a tree branch that fell in my backyard.”
Whatley’s artwork was exhibited at Chestnut Hill’s Woodmere Gallery in 2024.
“Sometimes I’ll get a piece of wood and I can’t think of what to do [with it]. Then an idea comes to me and I’ll work on it,” Whatley, who is also a retired teacher who began creating art in 1963. Explore Whatley’s work at https://www.etsy.com/shop/WhatleySculpts.
All told, this year’s celebration offered not only eye-catching fashion, exceptional art, and flavorful goodies, but also plenty of food for thought.
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