Freeport
HERALD
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Vol. 85 no. 26
JUne 25 - JUlY 1, 2020
Residents rally on Juneteenth for freedom “The mask over the system is being pulled off, and people are seeing the truth.” Residents from across Long Elaine Margarita, of WillisIsland and New York City gath- ton Park, came to protest with ered June 19 at Freeport’s North- her daughters Emily and Julia east Park to celebrate June- Buckley. While Black Lives Matteenth and march in ter protests have support of the Black come and gone in Lives Matter movethe past, Margarita ment to end police said she believes brutality. Floyd’s death was a The event, orgaturning point, as evinized by the local denced by the conchapter of the Party tinued protests. for Socialism and “People are horriLiberation, had profied about what haptesters march pened, and it made throughout Freeport them take a look at as they chanted for what was going on justice not only for The reV. and made them George Floyd, whose want to change d e a t h i n M a y arThUr things,” Emily said. sparked ongoing MackeY Jr. “It’s important to protests, but also juscome out and to Mt. Sinai Baptist tice for local victims keep the movement of alle ged police Church going,” added Julia. brutality. The Rev. Arthur Rachel Hu, of the PSL, said Mackey Jr., of the Mt. Sinai BapFloyd’s death reopened people’s tist Church, in Roosevelt, said eyes to not only police brutality, the mixing of Juneteenth and but also the systems in place to the Black Lives Matter movekeep minorities across the ment was an important symbol nation and on Long Island this year, as it echoed the call for oppressed. equality for black Americans. “His death was the boiling As Mackey has done in previpoint that made people say that ous protests, he urged accountthey’ve had enough,” Hu said. Continued on page 16
By ronnY reYeS rreyes@liherald.com
Christina Daly/Herald
Senior eli eSpinal attended the Freeport High School graduation drive-in at the Nassau Veters Memorial Coliseum on June 20.
Saluting the class of 2020 Students reflect on challenges and hope By ronnY reYeS rreyes@liherald.com
Despite the coronavirus pandemic, the F ree por t School District held its 127th commencement for the class of 2020 at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum on June 20. Although the ceremony was atypical, students, fami-
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CLASS
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lies and educators said they enjoyed the opportunity to take part in the drive-in ceremony. “This year will always be remembered in history,” Freeport High School Principal Joseph Mille said. “You have made an indelible mark, and you’ll always be remembered in our minds and our hearts for your resiliency, for-
titude and resolve, and for that, I applaud you.” Along with speeches by administrators and local elected officials, the drive-in ceremony included a video presentation, which played a montage of the class of 2020. The video showed each student and played scenes from the small ceremonies the Continued on page 3
A Special Thank You To Our Class of 2o2o Graduating Class List Sponsors: Sal Manzo Plumbing & Heating Big Bob’s Self Storage Print Promowear, llc Anton Mobil Gas
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uneteenth is a day of freedom, and we’ll make sure to continue moving forward.