Juneteenth: Energy of Atlantic City Festival Felt for Blocks Beyond Waterfront Park
Atlantic City residents are welcomed by a "Happy Juneteenth" sign at the Ubuntu the Community Juneteenth Community Cookout at the Oscar McClintock Waterfront Park in Atlantic City on Thursday, June 19, 2025. Photo by Meredith Winner/Mer-Made Photography
BY CLYDE HUGHES | AC JosepH Media
ATLANTIC CITY – From blocks away, one could feel the energy of the Juneteenth Celebration put on by the nonprofit Ubuntu the Community on Thursday, June 19 at Oscar McClintock Waterfront Park, next to the Boardwalk and the Atlantic Ocean.
That feeling was intentional, according to organizers led by founder and President Nefertiti Hathaway. In its eighth year, Hathaway’s organization started holding Juneteenth celebrations on the actual day of recognition before it became a state and national holiday.
While Ubuntu the Community’s celebration is not officially sanctioned by the City of Atlantic City as its Juneteenth holiday, it is fully embraced as if it was. Atlantic City council’s vice president Kaleem Shabazz, who is also president of the local NAACP was spotted mingling through large crowd.
“It just keeps getting bigger every year; they just keep showing up,” Hathaway told Front Runner New Jersey.com as she looked over the crowd of the energetic celebration before a strong thunderstorm swept in to cut short the final hour of the event.
“I think it’s being able to recognize Juneteenth that gets the people out,” she continued. “When we first started doing this, it wasn’t recognized [as a holiday]. Now that it is, everyone seems to be looking for a way to celebrate it.
READ: Ubuntu Has Special Meaning For Nefertiti Hathaway
“We are one of the few organizations that put on an event on the exact day of Juneteenth year after year, so I think the community wants to celebrate that. I just want to thank the community. Looking at all of these people, I’m so happy and grateful to be called to do this work. This is amazing.”
Shakimah Williams and her mother Wanda Williams came down from Philadelphia as vendors for hot food items, such as jerk chicken wings, chicken kabobs, greens, yellow rice, baked beans and other items. The caterer said she sold out of nearly everything. The business is called Sissy’s Kitchen of Soul.
Shakimah Williams said her dream is to do catering full time and open her own store. Judging from the reaction to her food, where people could be seen munching down on her chicken wings and other items all around the festival, she may have struck a chord.
“We came out here to enjoy ourselves, have fun with the community as well serve our food so they can start to support me through my journey,” Shakimah Williams said.
Behind the support of her mother, Shakimah Williams said she “travels all over the place” to festivals to get the word out about her business.
At the other end of the park, Pud’s Pudding was selling banana pudding for the first time. The owner said pudding sales were brisk and they were happy with the results.
In all, 14 vendors enjoyed visiting customers from people coming across Atlantic City and those walking on their homes onto the park.
“I hope they all sold out,” Hathaway said.
The neighborhood and supporting spirit is what makes Juneteenth event at McClintock Park a unique experience among other celebrations, she said.
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