Celebrating Juneteenth at Germantown Cricket Club

“Do you see that young man out there?” Joseph James stood on a porch at Germantown Cricket Club (GCC), overlooking the grass courts filled with people of all ages and backgrounds. 

It was GCC’s first-ever Juneteenth Black Lives celebration — which took place June 19th and welcomed individuals from all over the Philadelphia community to celebrate the lives and culture of the African American community.

“That's what I want to see more of. I want to see more people from different cultures and backgrounds in mainline grass clubs.”

James, who was the first African American member at GCC, was taking it all in. He was an honored guest of GCC during this event, where he was recognized for the historic day he joined the club in 1979. The club presented him with a lifetime membership.

Kids played tennis in a community youth clinic on the normally private grass courts, and individuals and organizations from the community participated in the event as well. Individuals also heard James speak about his life and the progress of African American life in the U.S.