About

In the wake of the killing of George Floyd and the heightened civil unrest in the country, four dynamic African American Ossining women (Joyce Cole, Juanda Dabbs, Althema Goodson, and Diana Lemon) banded together to create programs to educate, uplift, and empower the African American Community of Ossining. As a result, in May 2020 the Juneteenth Council was founded.

 

On June 19, 2020, in less than three weeks, they organized and executed the first Juneteenth celebration in Ossining, NY, which was attended by state and local politicians and community members.  The celebration also included music performances, food vendors, a voter registration booth, and a Juneteenth history lesson.  The cost was covered entirely by the four women.

 

The Committee has hosted many zoom seminars on various topics such as mental health, genealogy workshops, financial literacy, H.R. 40 legislation, Advocating for children at school, and more. In addition, they also organized and hosted a rally for black women called “C.R.O.W.N.” which promoted pride in heritage and self and K.I.N.G. for black men promoting the same.