The Politic of Juneteenth (Alfonso Rodriguez, Troy4BlackLives Organizer)

On Friday, June 19, 2026, Hudson Mohawk Magazine Network Roaming Labor Correspondent Willie Terry covered the Troy Juneteenth passport, the “Freedom Crawl” celebration, and events at five locations in Troy. One Juneteenth celebration that was not among the Freedom Crawl stops was the “Troy4BlackLives” event, held in a garden on 9th Street in Troy. Willie covered that event as well. In Part 3 of this labor segment on Juneteenth, he discussed the “Politics of Juneteenth” with Troy4BlackLives Organizer Alfonso Rodriguez. This is Part 1 of a 2-part discussion.