Latest news with #BlackScrantonProject
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Juneteenth celebration expanding in Scranton, also planned in Wilkes-Barre
The Black Scranton Project is expanding its Juneteenth celebrations from one day to three, with the addition of a punk and alternative music festival, a church service and brunch. Juneteenth, or June 19, commemorates the end of slavery in the U.S. and marks the day that delayed news of emancipation reached a group of enslaved people in Texas. It is a federal holiday, closing many government buildings. 'This year, we'll be celebrating on Juneteenth, so that's going to be exciting,' said Glynis M. Johns, founder and CEO of the Black Scranton Project. Juneteenth is her favorite holiday. Events are free and open to the public. The Black Scranton Project 6th Juneteenth Jubilee block party is Thursday, June 19, from 2 to 8 p.m., at the 1902 N. Main Ave., Scranton, center. It includes free roller skating in a temporary rink, food, a DJ, artists, giveaways, vendors, games and ice cream. * Black Scranton Project founder Glynis Johns dances on roller skates at the Juneteenth Jubilee Block Party at the Black Scranton Center for Arts in Culture in Scranton on June 15, 2024. (TIMES-TRIBUNE FILE) * Scenes from the 2024 Juneteenth Jubilee Block Party at the Black Scranton Project. (TIMES-TRIBUNE FILE) Show Caption 1 of 2 Black Scranton Project founder Glynis Johns dances on roller skates at the Juneteenth Jubilee Block Party at the Black Scranton Center for Arts in Culture in Scranton on June 15, 2024. (TIMES-TRIBUNE FILE) Expand After area musicians reached out, a punk and alternative music festival was added Friday, June 20, from 2 to 6 p.m. 'It's our take on Afro-punk, kind of inviting local and also just kind of regional Black and brown performers to come and have a platform and a stage. I know it's always harder for alternative style artists to put themselves out there,' Johns said. The Black Scranton Project wants to support 'all kinds of art,' Johns said. 'One, because Black is not a monolith. And two, there are so many great artists and creatives in the region that are doing amazing things.' Several musicians will perform. Pucker Up! is one of the performers. On Sunday, June 22, the Black Scranton Project is collaborating with Bethel AME Church to mark Juneteenth at the church's 11 a.m. worship service. It will include several visiting choirs. 'We want it to be not only an event at Bethel, but also a community event,' said the Rev. Mark Alexander, pastor of the 716 N. Washington Ave., Scranton, church. Juneteenth celebrations are a chance to recognize Black contributions, Alexander said. 'We've never gotten the recognition, and it's time we get the recognition for what we have done to make this country great.' Juneteenth is also a time to focus on 'what God has brought us through,' he said. 'God has never left us, nor put us in a position where we did not have hope. So we should always have hope that there will be a better day coming, and better times coming, even through tribulations that we may have. There is always something to have hope about,' Alexander said. Bethel AME is the oldest Black church in Scranton. Back at the Black Scranton Project Center for Arts & Culture, the Sunday celebration will end with brunch at 1 p.m. 'It's going to be a fun, dynamic weekend,' Johns said, 'and we are excited to kind of try out new kinds of events, bring the community together,' she said. Information and contact details at and social media. In Wilkes-Barre, UNITY Collective is holding a Juneteenth block party Thursday, June 19, on Public Square from 5 to 10 p.m. There will be music and dancing, food, interactive art, poetry, speakers, community organizations and vendors. Information is on social media.
Yahoo
23-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
‘Smoke Eater' black firefighter became community hero in Scranton
SCRANTON, LACKAWANNA COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — An ambitious young firefighter became a community hero in Scranton in the 19th century. Lincoln Sherman Tillman was the first black firefighter to receive a pension in the city of Scranton. Lincoln paved the path for other men of color to join the department with him down the road. 'They used to call him 'The Smoke Eater' because he wasn't afraid to really go into these fires, full body, and just go after it,' said Black Scranton Project Founder and CEO Glynis Johns. Lincoln, or 'Link,' first started fighting fires when he was just 16 years old. 'He started out as a teenager in a volunteer firefighting company here in the City of Scranton called 'Union Hook & Ladder,'' Johns explained. The fire company was a branch of the Scranton Fire Department organized by a group of black men in 1874. It began with 25 members at a station on Lower Lackawanna Avenue. According to an article in The Scranton Tribune in March of 1937, Lincoln recalled the start of his career, detailing there were only three other black families in the City of Scranton in the 1870s. How trailblazing Black police captain paved the way for change The men came together to form Union Hook & Ladder to battle fires on high buildings alongside nearby companies. 'It's a truck apparatus that has a series of hooks and ladders on it so that way you can get to the second, third, and fourth floor of buildings,' Johns continued. Over the years, Lincoln responded to some of the city's largest fires. His dedication to the field did not go unnoticed. 'By the year 1900, he was a pension firefighter, and from there he had a 30-year career in the City of Scranton fighting fires, people called him a hero. He saved people's cats, he saved people's grandmothers. He's literally carried, like, women and children out of burning buildings, always did it with a smile. He loved his job,' Johns explained. Lincoln's legacy was brought to life again by Johns who started a collection of historical findings on prominent black figures in Scranton in 2019. 'At the end of the day, he was a teenager and he just did it because he wanted to help, he wanted to be helping people at some of the most vulnerable and scariest times in your life,' Johns added. The Black church's role in Civil Rights and social justice continues to grow In that 1937 interview, Lincoln noted he was born to walk the path of a firefighter. His father was a volunteer firefighter and the family trade continued on through Link's nephew. 'I said 'I don't go to fires anymore.' Link chuckled. 'I leave that to my nephew, Bert Tillman.' He's with Engine Company Number 4. I guess I got all the fires I wanted in for a lifetime,' Johns said. Bert Tillman joined the Scranton Fire Department in 1917 working alongside his uncle at Engine No. 1 on Franklin Avenue. According to multiple archived newspaper articles, the Tillman's ancestors were slaves on a Virginia plantation who navigated to Scranton in the Underground Railroad in the 1800s. Bert moved to the ranks, becoming of Engineer driving Engine 1, and manning the pumps at fires before his retirement in 1955 after 42 years of service. Today, you can see his uniform dress coat displayed at the Anthracite Heritage Museum. Johns also has a collection of patches and buttons donated to her. 'I really appreciate the Scranton Fire Department for donating these patches for our archives,' Johns stated. The Legacy of Dr. James A. Franklin: 'It wasn't about color. It was about health' Thomas Hogans Junior brought his artistic talents to the department in 1965 as a paid firefighter. Hogans designed the patch worn by members of Firefighters Local 669 on their uniforms. His design is still used today by Local 60. The original layout is unchanged. All three men had indelible legacies. Not just as firefighters, but also as community leaders and activists. 'A lot of African-American men in Scranton were really active in city politics,' Johns said. Lincoln Tillman died in 1941 of old age. 'He didn't really have that many health issues, and he was remembered greatly. I hope that he one day gets the recognition as a hero that he deserves,' Johns stated. The public is invited to check out the Black Scranton Project's collection on Lincoln Tillman. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
09-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Scranton mayor will seek reelection, headlining ballot alongside races for county judge, DA and other row offices
Scranton Mayor Paige Gebhardt Cognetti will seek another term this year during an election cycle where races for that office, a Lackawanna County judgeship, the position of county district attorney and other county row offices are on the ballot. While the window for candidates to circulate and file nomination petitions doesn't open until Feb. 18, a picture of what some of those races might look like began to emerge last week when the state Senate approved Lackawanna County District Attorney Mark Powell's nomination to fill a vacant judgeship on the county Court of Common Pleas until early January. Powell resigned as district attorney and took the oath of office as the county's newest judge Friday, when First Assistant District Attorney Brian Gallagher was sworn in as DA pursuant to state law. Both will accrue on-the-job experience as they run to hold those positions beyond 2025, with Powell seeking election to a full 10-year judicial term on the county bench and Gallagher seeking a full four-year term as district attorney. If elected, both would begin those full terms in January. Who might challenge them this year remains to be seen. That's also the case for Cognetti, Scranton's incumbent Democratic mayor who first earned that title by winning a 2019 special election to fill the unexpired term of corrupt former Mayor Bill Courtright. Voters reelected the city's first female mayor in 2021, when Cognetti comfortably defeated city Controller John Murray in the Democratic primary and defeated Republican Darwin Lee Shaw II by an even larger margin that November. Cognetti confirmed late last week that she'll seek another four-year term this year. Scranton Mayor Paige Cognetti speaks at a Get Out To Vote event at the Black Scranton Project on Sunday, Nov. 3, 2024. In a statement, the mayor said she's honored to lead a city that's 'the heartbeat of Northeastern Pennsylvania' and noted ongoing efforts to fight utility rate hikes, enhance Scranton's historic downtown, redevelop neighborhoods, rebuild pools and parks and fix stormwater infrastructure. Her administration is exploring how to secure additional funding for important infrastructure projects and will continue to advocate for the long-sought restoration of passenger rail service between Scranton and New York City, among many other efforts, she said. 'Campaigns are about the future,' Cognetti said. 'I'm excited to listen to residents about what they need and how they want Scranton to keep moving forward.' Scranton's legislative body, meanwhile, will look different in 2026, as three city council seats currently held by Democratic Councilmen Gerald Smurl, Tom Schuster and Bill King are all on the ballot this year. King confirmed he won't seek reelection. Schuster and Smurl both said that they will. Other prospective city council candidates also confirmed their plans to run, including Scranton School Director Sean McAndrew and residents Marc Pane and Virgil Argenta. Pane is a Republican. McAndrew and Argenta are both Democrats. County judge Gov. Josh Shapiro recently nominated Powell, who voters first elected county district attorney in 2017 and reelected in 2021, to fill the Common Pleas Court vacancy created in 2023 when Judge Julia Munley assumed a position on the federal bench. The state Senate Judiciary Committee advanced his nomination to the full Senate on Monday with a favorable recommendation, and the full Senate approved his nomination Tuesday. Between his time as the county's top prosecutor and his prior tenure as an attorney at his family's firm, Powell brings more than three decades of legal experience to the county bench. Lackawanna County District Attorney Mark Powell testifies Monday before the state Senate Judiciary Committee. The committee advanced Powell's nomination to a vacant judgeship on the Lackawanna County Court of Common Pleas to the full state Senate with a favorable recommendation. (SCREENSHOT) 'I certainly appreciate the awesome responsibility of becoming a judge and I will use my 34 years of experience to assist me in doing the best job possible, but the role of the judge is really to apply the law to the facts with … fairness, compassion and knowing the impact it has on individuals,' Powell said. 'I intend to do that by being fair and with a sense of humility.' He's the third current county judge to have served as district attorney, the others being Judge Michael J. Barrasse and Judge Andrew Jarbola. Now in the final year of his current term, Jarbola is seeking retention this year to another 10-year term on the county bench. County voters will decide whether to retain him in November. District attorney A former state and federal prosecutor, Gallagher served as Powell's second in command from November 2023 until Friday, when he was elevated under operation of law from first assistant district attorney to replace Powell as the DA. He'll run for a full term as a Democrat. In a phone interview, Gallagher said the office he now leads must continue aggressively combating violent crime, particularly in Scranton, and ensure 'that crime doesn't expand into the neighboring boroughs, townships and municipalities that comprise Lackawanna County.' A safe Scranton is a safer Lackawanna County, he said, arguing an aggressive approach on violent crime must be complemented by community outreach, engagement with neighborhood groups and the provision and development of resources and programs in local schools to deter gang and criminal activity among younger populations. 'It's important that the person leading the office has an acute understanding that the office belongs to the people of Lackawanna County,' Gallagher said. 'It's not my office. It's not a coronation. This is about the people. … We have to make sure that the integrity of the office carries on or our system falls apart. So this is about the people, not about me. It's about our law enforcement. It's about our citizens.' Gallagher previously served in the district attorney's office from 2012 through 2022, first as an assistant district attorney and then as a deputy district attorney. He left to become an assistant U.S. Attorney in the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania before returning to the county office as first assistant. Row offices Also on the ballot this year are the county row offices of sheriff, register of wills and recorder of deeds, all of them held by longtime Democratic incumbents who confirmed they'll run for reelection. Sheriff Mark McAndrew will seek a fourth four-year term, as will Register of Wills Fran Kovaleski, while Recorder of Deeds Evie Rafalko McNulty will seek an eighth four-year term in that role. Who might emerge as potential challengers in those races also remains to be seen. The window for prospective candidates seeking spots on Democratic or Republican primary ballots to circulate and file nomination petitions opens Feb. 18 and runs through March 11. Those who plan to run as independent or third-party candidates on the November ballot can begin circulating nomination papers March 12. The last day to file those papers is Aug. 1. This year's municipal primary is May 20. The general election is Nov. 4.
