On Juneteenth, the African American Chamber of Commerce of New Jersey turned a soccer watch party into a statement about freedom and the diaspora.
Reverend Samuel Aidee came out to see Haiti vs. Brazil. He brought his wife, his sister, his friends, and a conviction that the night ran deeper than a scoreline.
“We were created free,” Aidee said. “There’s one word that resonates so loudly in my heart, in my soul. And that is unity. Not just for Haitians to unite, not just for blacks to unite. All of us, as a people.”
Haiti hadn’t reached a World Cup since 1974. Fifty-two years. They drew into Group C next to Brazil, and on Juneteenth, in Trenton, that bracket turned into something bigger than a game.
The African American Chamber of Commerce of New Jersey packed Cooper’s Riverview with about 100 guests, country flags ringing the room and Chamber-branded sunglasses on every table. The screens ran the World Cup live — the U.S. against Australia, Scotland against Morocco, and last but not least: Brazil against Haiti.
Vivian Harmon, the Chamber’s executive director of training and development, had been building toward this for more than a year. The watch party folds into an initiative she calls Black Diaspora United.
“FIFA has given us the opportunity to outreach to Black businesses that are in the African diaspora with a more pan-African perspective, to really promote that universal voice,” Harmon said. “FIFA is a right ground to do that, because all of our people come out for soccer, or what they call futbol.”
She read the calendar and saw the alignment.
Vice President, Community Development & External Affairs Officer for AACCNJ, and Vivian D. Harmon,
Executive Director of Training and Development Institute (TDI) – Images by Toned Photography
“You think about what it means to be a free person in the United States, especially in a political climate like we have today, and looking at an amazing team and country like Haiti, and then Brazil — one of the most densely populated Black countries outside of Africa,” Harmon said. “Today is Black on Black on Black, and just beautiful. Juneteenth is a perfect day for this game.”
Getting members in the room took work. Mary Griffin ran five networking events just to put the tournament on people’s radar.
“Believe it or not, they didn’t even know it,” Griffin said in reference to New Jersey residents’ knowledge of World Cup games being played at MetLife Stadium. “Our job was to make sure they were aware that it’s coming. Now our job is to get them involved.”
Griffin measures freedom one day at a time.
“Every day we look around and we say, how free are we? Because we find that the new administration is still trying to put us back before Juneteenth ever happened,” she said. “The thing we need to remember is it’s a mental thing. So you are as free as you feel that you are. Celebrate every day.”
Largely known for its international lore, soccer has deep local roots in Trenton. Coach L has lost count of the watch parties, and for 15 years he’s trained players from various neighborhoods.
“Soccer is a part of the US, man. I’m just here to bring it,” he said. “I ain’t got a team. I’m training the players that get on teams. We really the hub. They taking our players, and then we send them out to these other teams. We keep it in the city.”
When asked what freedom means, he gave the most vulnerable and honest response.
“I wish I knew what that was, ’cause it’s hard to find out here,” Coach L said. “I could talk about all of what I want, but to really actually know and experience it — I don’t know yet. I’mma leave it at that.”
Participating in the FIFA events is something the community should enjoy. Mary Griffin’s son, Darius Griffin Jr., spent the week with the Port Authority scheduling trains for the tournament and the Knicks’ championship run. “I haven’t been a part of the festivities,” he said. “But I’ve been setting up for the fun.”
He’s been taking in his mother’s wisdom for three decades, and he reads the day the way she taught him. “Juneteenth means another chance for Black people to come together and celebrate being Black,” he said. “Celebrate our culture, celebrate loving one another. Showing that we can come together, and have it be all positive.”
Sandra, a single mother of four, came for the gathering as much as the match. “It’s mind-blowing to be in a space where people like us can get together,” she said. “You can feel the energy.”
The venue knew the assignment. Danny B, general manager of Cooper’s Riverview, runs a room that’s stood since 1850. “FIFA brings in a diverse crowd, ’cause people are coming for all their teams. Nobody left out,” he said. “The community is what drives us.”
The Chamber isn’t done. Before the room cleared, Griffin was already pointing to the next stop: a community festival lands first, on July 17 at the Chamber’s headquarters, 379 West State Street in Trenton, open to members, friends, families and the entire community.
Sign up here to be a vendor or food truck.
“We’ll be back again at Cooper’s Riverview for the final,” Griffin said. “We don’t know who’s gonna be in the finals yet, but we’re looking forward to that.”
Register for the World Cup final, back at Cooper’s Riverview on July 19.
