Elijah Nelson, Jonathan Rivera and Mark Oladapo (l-r) cheer at East Rock Park in New Haven during a Juneteenth event organized by Citywide Youth Coalition to celebrate the emancipation of the last enslaved people in Texas in 1865. Cloe Poisson / CTMirror.org
About 1,500 people marched for equal justice and freedom from the New Haven Green to the park for speeches, poetry readings, entertainment, food and fellowship. The three are students at Southern Connecticut State University. “We’re living history by being here,” said Rivera. “All of us together are stronger as one.”