The Triangle block in downtown Williamsburg was once a bustling area of Black businesses and residences, until redevelopment in the 1970s changed the landscape.

 

But on Sunday, in the shadow of historic First Baptist Church — one of the oldest Black churches in the country, the Triangle came to life with the Juneteenth Freedom Celebration. Part block party, part educational outreach, the event brought out hundreds of community members to commemorate the end of slavery in the United States.