In collaboration with the Lakeview Civic Association, Malverne High School hosted its Juneteenth Jubilee on June 12. The celebration took place the Friday before the holiday because of school closures.
The event had local food trucks, a bounce house and slide for younger children, and a DJ. The football field and basketball courts were also open for students to play on.
The Lakeview Civic Association, the Lakeview NAACP chapter, and Divine Nine sororities and fraternities had tables at the event. They provided informational pamphlets and gave students information on their organizations.
Malverne’s marching band, Color Guard, Select Choir, and jazz band also gave performances on the event stage.
Stephen Benfante, assistant principal at Davison Avenue Intermediate School, plays a vital role in organizing the event every year. “There’s a lot that goes into it,” he said. “We have student organizers as well as Lakeview Civic Association members helping us throughout.” He has been organizing the event since its inception in 2020.
Lakeview Civic Association member and Malverne school board trustee Nicole Henderson is responsible for booking the food trucks, but still credits Benfante as the brains behind the entire operation. “He’s the one who does everything,” she said.
Benfante is committed to his goal of helping students learn about the history of Juneteenth, along with providing entertainment at the school event. “Students need to understand the history, we owe it to them to teach them about it,” he said. “It’s not just about having fun.”
Malverne’s Juneteenth event predates its establishment as a national holiday in 2021 by one year. It is the first school district to host a Juneteenth event on Long Island, and Benfante takes pride in highlighting one of the pivotal days in American history.
Civic Association member Uchenna Emeagwali is responsible for booking guest speakers for the Juneteenth event, and this year’s speaker was Dr. Renee White of St. Joseph’s University, New York. Dr. White is a professor in the graduate literacy and child study program. “Guest speakers are always professors, they sometimes also promote and sell their books,” Emeagwali said.
