Black History Month Spotlight: Juneteenth of Buffalo
"Enhancing the quality of life of our community"
The Juneteenth Festival of Buffalo was started in 1976 by B.U.I.L.D., a community-based organization, as a culturally relevant alternative to the country's Bicentennial Celebration. From its beginnings on Jefferson Avenue, Buffalo's Juneteenth festival has grown into one of largest and longest-running Juneteenth events anywhere.
The celebration of African American Arts and Culture is central to the Juneteenth festival. But Juneteenth's impact goes far beyond entertainment. Festival organizers work with community partners to bring in a broad range of resources to support the education, health and financial well-being of attendees.
Included in these efforts is the Juneteenth book tent — a favorite stop for festival attendees.
Marcus Brown, a retired school teacher and former president of Juneteenth of Buffalo, was initially surprised at how popular the book giveaway is with kids. "Kids don't always like school," Brown says. "But so many kids would come by and they wouldn't leave. They wanted to stay with the books."
From books to job fairs, health screenings, homebuying information and more, Juneteenth uses its position as a trusted community resource to help enhance quality of life for the community. United Way is proud to partner with Juneteenth for this year's book giveaway.
You can be part of this effort by supporting the United Way Black History Month book drive, now through February 28th. Find a curated list of books or make a monetary donation toward the drive at uwbec.org/blackhistorymonth.
Learn more about Juneteenth of Buffalo at buffalojuneteenth.com.