Rahway Marks Juneteenth at Historic Tavern With Scholarships, Speeches, and Celebration
The Rahway NAACP gathered the city on the grounds of the Merchants and Drovers Tavern on Friday to observe the holiday that has come to be known as America’s second Independence Day.
Members of the Rahway Social Justice Commission handed out scholarships during the Juneteenth event at the historic Merchants and Drovers Tavern. (The Central Jerseyan)
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Chris Howell | June 20, 2026
Rahway gathered on the grounds of the Merchants and Drovers Tavern on Friday to mark Juneteenth, which commemorates June 19, 1865, when Union troops arrived in Galveston, Texas, to announce that the Civil War was over and all remaining enslaved people were free. The city marked the occasion with food, drinks, scholarships, and remarks from local and regional officials.
The event was hosted and organized by the Rahway NAACP. President Cynthia Goodman presided over the ceremony.
About 10 Rahway High School graduates received $500 scholarships during the ceremony, one of the afternoon’s most anticipated moments. The Juneteenth flag flew behind the city podium as speakers took turns addressing the crowd under sunny skies.
The holiday carries particular historical weight. The Galveston announcement came more than two years after President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, which had not reached Confederate-controlled territories like Texas. For generations, African American communities marked the date through local celebrations even as the broader country largely looked past it.
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Mayor Raymond Giacobbe Jr. spoke to that tradition of community and belonging, saying Rahway’s Juneteenth celebration was part of a broader effort to ensure every resident felt included.
“It makes me so happy to see our community come together for one another,” Giacobbe said. “Everyone here is represented, and everyone here is welcome.”
He drew on a moment from the Rahway High School commencement ceremony earlier in the week to illustrate the point. A student speaker shared publicly that he was gay and described the fear that came with that moment. But the student also said he knew Rahway was a place where he would be accepted.
“He felt safe in our city,” Giacobbe said. “He felt welcome in our city, and he felt loved in our city. As mayor, that meant the world to me.”
Rebecca Bennett, the Democratic candidate for New Jersey’s 7th Congressional District, also spoke at the event. Giacobbe introduced her and praised her consistent presence in Rahway since launching her campaign, saying her familiarity with the city’s needs around flooding and transit infrastructure made her the kind of federal representative Rahway needed.
Bennett, a former Navy pilot and healthcare leader, told the crowd she was committed to showing up well after Election Day. She described her approach to leadership as one built on listening and presence.
“I refer to my leadership as deck plate leadership,” she said. “That is how I was trained to lead in the Navy, by showing up, listening, and being able to do the work to champion everyone in our community.”
Bennett is running against Republican incumbent Rep. Tom Kean Jr. in what she described as the state Democrats’ top pickup opportunity this cycle.
Congress formally recognized Juneteenth as a national holiday in 2021, when the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act was passed with near-unanimous support and signed into law. It was the first new federal holiday established since Martin Luther King Jr. Day in 1983.
Union County Commissioner James E. Baker Jr. arrived late, joking that Rahway’s growth had caused a traffic problem he hadn’t planned for. He spoke about why Juneteenth is considered America’s second Independence Day and the importance of marking it each year.
“Imagine being in jail and being told you received a pardon two years ago,” Baker said. “This is a day that is important. It’s a day that needs to be recognized and celebrated.”
Editor’s note: The Central Jerseyan is free to read and supported by advertising. If you value this kind of local reporting and want to help sustain it, you can become a citizen supporter on Patreon. Your contribution helps fund continued coverage of local government, schools, and community issues.