Juneteenth Celebration at Germantown Cricket Club

Germantown Cricket Club continued its annual celebration of Juneteenth by opening its doors to the public to celebrate the history of Black tennis. This was the third straight year that the historic, Philadelphia-based club hosted the community to honor the holiday.

On June 19, the private club provided tennis clinics, games and lessons to kids, along with a doubles round robin tournament to adults. 

“It’s great to see the club alive like this,” said longtime Germantown Cricket Club member Amar Mohammed. “The community has come together to celebrate, and GCC did a great job.” 

The celebration included live music, a bar, food trucks, and multiple vendor tables selling various items from Black-owned businesses. Jewelry, garments, drinks, and custom shirts were on display for the guests. 

The event was sponsored by Friends of GCC, an organization specializing in providing “an opportunity for youth, educational institutions, and community organizations to participate in ongoing events at The Germantown Cricket Club.”

Juneteenth is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the emancipation of enslaved African Americans. It is recognized as the first day of freedom for enslaved Black people in Galveston, Texas, the last place where slaves were informed about the abolition of slavery. It is therefore identified as the day slavery ended in the United States. Juneteenth became a federal holiday in 2021.

“It’s a really important day,” Mohammed said. “It’s good that it’s now recognized, but it has to be celebrated in a respectful way, and I think that was done so today.”