From Liberation to Livability: The Deep Connection Between Juneteenth and Urban Development

June 19th, 2025 by Valerie Merritt

As we reflect on the powerful conversations and momentum sparked during the New Jersey Planning and Redevelopment Conference held just days ago, we also find ourselves reflecting on another moment of significance—Juneteenth. Though these two events may appear unrelated in nature, they are bound by a common thread: the enduring pursuit of freedom, equity, and opportunity for communities of color and other historically marginalized populations.

Juneteenth, observed on June 19, marks the day in 1865 when the last enslaved African Americans in Galveston, Texas learned they were free—more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation. It is a day of remembrance, resilience, and celebration. But Juneteenth is not just about the past; it’s also a call to action. It reminds us that freedom delayed is freedom denied—and that the systems built in the wake of slavery continue to shape our urban environments today.

At New Jersey Future’s 2025 Planning and Redevelopment Conference, held June 11–13, in partnership with the New Jersey chapter of the American Planning Association (APA NJ), over 800 participants came together (virtually and in-person) to explore the future of our state’s communities—from housing affordability to infrastructure resilience, climate justice, and equitable redevelopment. The themes that resonated most deeply for me as a first timer to PRC—who gets to live where, who benefits from redevelopment, and who has a voice in shaping their neighborhoods—are questions that trace their roots to our country’s unfinished reckoning with racial injustice.

Too often, Black and Brown communities have borne the brunt of harmful planning decisions: redlining, disinvestment, environmental racism, and displacement. Yet today, these same communities are leading the charge toward renewal and reinvention. Through community organizing, policy advocacy, and creative placemaking, they are not just surviving urban development—they are reshaping it.

Juneteenth challenges us to expand our definition of freedom. It is not enough to be free in law; freedom must be felt in the fabric of our daily lives—in safe housing, good schools, clean air, affordable transportation, and thriving local economies. These are the very outcomes that equitable planning and redevelopment seek to secure.

As we celebrate Juneteenth on Thursday, June 19, we must also remember that every roadmap we draft and every policy we implement can be a step toward liberation—or a barrier against it. The work we do at New Jersey Future is not separate from this truth—it is deeply intertwined with it.

We will continue to honor Juneteenth, not just with words, but with action. I’m proud to be a part of a team that plans with purpose, invests with equity, and ensures that all New Jerseyans—especially those who have been left behind for far too long—can share in the promise of prosperous, sustainable, and just communities.

Because true freedom doesn’t end with emancipation—it begins with empowerment.