BELMAR — Residents and visitors traveled to the Belmar boardwalk on Thursday, June 19, and gathered at Taylor Pavilion in honor of the Belmar Public Library’s Juneteenth celebration concert.
The ceremony featured a selection of poetry, music and history that underscored the importance of Juneteenth and the impact Black Americans have had and continue to have in the United States.
Community members and representatives from the Belmar Borough Council, Belmar Public Library, the Belmar Woman’s Club, the Belmar Historical Society and other civic organizations were in attendance and emphasized the importance of the annual Juneteenth ceremony.
Mayor Gerald Buccafusco told The Coast Star, “It’s a great event. We’ve done this every year. It’s really a testament to the library and the community we live in. It’s so important.”
Library Assistant Luis B. Pulido welcomed visitors to Taylor Pavilion and in his opening remarks discussed the importance and meaning of Juneteenth.
Former President Joe Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act into law, making it a federal holiday, on June 17, 2021. Juneteenth commemorates the official ending of slavery in America on June 19,1865, two years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation that freed slaves from all confederate territories following the Civil War on January 1, 1863.
“Juneteenth is a call to continue that journey towards equality and freedom – a reminder of the fact that our nation as we know it today is a product of the labor of many hands. White hands, black hands, free hands and slave hands,” Pulido said.
Pulido first discussed the official Juneteenth flag, breaking down each design on the flag that represents freedom and the end of slavery.
“Each part has its own essence and adds to the meaning of the flag,” Pulido said.
The star at the center of the flag has a dual meaning; primarily the star represents Texas, the state in which the last slaves were told of their freedom. Pulido said the star also represents all 50 states, where all African Americans are free and equal citizens.
The burst around the star represents the announcement of freedom as a new beginning for Black Americans, Pulido said.
Across the middle of the flag is a curved line that separates the red bottom half from the blue top half. Pulido said the curve represents a new horizon with all the opportunities and promises that lay ahead.
The colors of the flag – red, white and blue – represent the American flag as a reminder that slaves and their descendants were and are Americans.
Along the right side of the flag is the date June 19, 1865, the day Pulido called, “Freedom Day, our nation’s second Independence Day.” The day United States Army General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas to enforce the Emancipation Proclamation and spread the word of freedom for the last remaining slaves after the end of the Civil War.
WALTER S. MCAFEE
Pulido then highlighted the story of Walter S. McAfee, who was born in Ore, Texas on Sept. 2, 1914. The son of Luther and Susie McAfee, Walter, along with his eight siblings, were homeschooled by their college-educated mother who couldn’t get a teaching job due to the color of her skin, Pulido said. All nine McAfee children successfully earned college degrees, seven in mathematics and two in chemistry.
Walter McAfee graduated magna cum laude with a degree in mathematics from Wiley College in 1934. He then attended Ohio State University and earned a master’s degree in theoretical mathematical physics in 1937, Pulido said.
“When World War II broke out, he wanted to help the war effort. So he started applying for positions, but he was rejected often because at the time applications asked for photographs to be included and his Black heritage held him back,” Pulido said.
McAfee then applied to the U.S. Army Signal Corp Electronics Research Command at Camp Evans in Wall Township, an application that did not require a photograph of the applicant, Pulido said. McAffee was hired to the job in 1942 and moved to South Belmar with his wife, Viola, and began at Camp Evans. At the base in Wall Township, he immediately began work on Project Diana, the effort to bounce radar signals off the moon.
“Walter did all the mathematical calculations necessary to ensure Project Diana succeeded and succeeded on July 10, 1946. That success paved the way for the development of technology that ultimately won the Cold War and space race for the United States,” Pulido said.
Following the success of Project Diana, McAfee earned a doctorate degree in physics from Cornell University in New York in 1949 and returned to South Belmar to continue working at Camp Evans until he retired in 1985. From 1958 to 1975, McAfee taught nuclear physics at what was then Monmouth College.
In 2019, the Belmar Post Office was named in honor of McAfee for his life’s work.
“Through Walter and her other children, Susie ultimately triumphed. Despite the corruption that tried to hold her back, she still made an impact and propelled America forward,” Pulido said.
POETRY AND MUSIC
The Juneteenth ceremony featured a diverse selection of entertainment that highlighted the work of influential poets and musicians including Langston Hughes and Duke Ellington, honoring their social achievements and creativity that Americans still cherish today.
Pulido read excerpts from Langston Hughes’ “Freedom’s Plow” that told the story of slavery in America and critiqued the American dream while spreading hope for unity and equality.
Conductor John Luckenbill then provided some musical history to provide some entertainment to the over 30 event attendees. Over three separate performances, the John Luckenbill Pops Orchestra played the Dixieland tune “South Rampart Street Parade,” covered the likes of Duke Ellington and Michael Jackson, and invited the participation of 89-year-old Dorian Parreott, who sang “I’m So Grateful.”
John Luckenbill Pops Band will be back to perform in Taylor Pavilion on July 7 as part of the borough’s summer concert series.
Spoken word poetry artist James C. Ellerbe read both classic poetry and his own work, inspiring the crowd by asking “Where are you?” Ellerbe provided attendees with an answer to the question with his poem “You Are Here.”
Ellerbe’s second poetic performance concluded with his original poem “We are Superheroes” reminding the average original individual that they are capable of success and happiness through determination and hard work.
After the event, Pulido told The Coast Star, “The meaning of Juneteenth is a call for us to remember the roots of our nation. When we remember who we are, that reminds us to be better Americans in the present and the future.”
This is an excerpt of the print article. For more on this story, read The Coast Star—on newsstands Thursday or online in our e-Edition.
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