CANO Receives $5K Award Toward Juneteenth Celebration

ONEONTA—The Community Arts Network of Oneonta has received a $5,000.00 award from the Community Foundation of Otsego County in support of the 2024 Juneteenth Celebration. The event will be held on Saturday, June 22 on Field Number 5 in Oneonta’s Neahwa Park.

The free, family-friendly, Oneonta Juneteenth Celebration is a forum for celebrating Black joy and justice. In its fifth year in Oneonta, Juneteenth is a day filled with Black culture, community relationships, education and entertainment. According to a press release, local organizations will talk about their cultural services. Food is from local Black-owned businesses—and free. Face painting, bounce houses, art gallery displays and more will be featured, and educators will speak on the significance of Juneteenth. Black poets will read, and there will be live music by local talents.

Celebration organizer Diandra Sangetti-Daniels said, “Juneteenth aims to create a safe space where people of all backgrounds gather and learn about the history and action of Black liberation. We believe it is through partnerships with our community organizations and the prioritization of community-based joy that solutions to systemic racism are birthed.”

Hope Von Stengel, executive director of CANO added, “CANO is proud to be Oneonta Juneteenth Celebration’s fiscal sponsor. The event celebrates the significant contributions local Black business owners, activists, artists, and residents bring to Oneonta through music, food, activities, and more. Oneonta Juneteenth’s organizers have done an amazing job welcoming our small, but growing Black community, while inviting the greater community to participate in coming together.”

As the event approaches, find more information on the CANO website, www.canoneonta.org.