Summit Councilman Boyer Speaks Out Against Juneteenth Committee

SUMMIT, NJ -- On the surface, all seemed to go well during last week’s Juneteenth festive event held on the Village Green in Summit.

The well-attended event was a joyous occasion as music filled the air and attendees enjoyed the entertainment, including face painting, bounce houses and speakers on hand to celebrate the day.

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The Juneteenth flag was raised over the Village Green to recognize the day, a special holiday commemorating the end of slavery in the United States.

But, behind the scenes, it was a horribly different story where members of the Common Council, city employees and Juneteenth event organizers clashed over having Councilman Jamel Boyer, the first Black American man elected to the Council last fall, speak during the event (Past Councilwoman Susan Hairston was the first African American elected official).

During remarks at this week's Common Council meeting, Boyer slammed the Juneteenth event committee, saying that they attempted to deny him his chance to address the audience because, as “a black man with different opinions and political beliefs, I was deemed not Black by a politically motivated group, most of whom do not reside in this town,” said Boyer.

According to city employees and Council Members who met with the Juneteenth committee to discuss the matter, Boyer learned he would not be allowed to speak at the event because he "didn’t represent what it means to be Black in Summit," he noted.  “While political disagreements are normal, using these disagreements to invalidate my racial identity is discriminatory," Boyer said.

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Reverend Vernon Williams said he “sat on the committee as a representative of Fountain Baptist Church.” Williams also serves the community on Summit’s Interfaith Council and its Anti-Racism Committee.

Williams said “Councilman Boyer wishes to believe the reason he was not chosen was because he is not ‘Black enough’ or that he is a Black Republican. No one has ever said that to him or anyone on the Council about him. That comment from Councilman Boyer is purely sensational and a flat out lie."

“The 2024 Juneteenth Committee planning followed a similar format as last year,” said Williams. “At no time before June 18th, does anyone on the committee ever remember Councilman Boyer being brought up as a speaker during the event. Additionally, no one on the committee ever spoke to Councilman Boyer about speaking." Williams said the committee pushed back on the request, "given our program was set for the day.”

Juneteenth committee member Monique Taylor added that the committee met with city Council members at least twice about the event and emailed Mayor Elizabeth Fagan, MD requesting her participation, but no one mentioned Jamel Boyer participating in the Juneteenth event during that time.  “June 18th was the first time the committee was told that he was promised to speak,” Taylor said.

But, according to the Department of Community Services (DCS), the Juneteenth committee was told about the Boyer request much earlier than June 18. In fact, the committee was notified in February that Boyer should be on the agenda to speak at the event, said the DCS.

Finally, after discussions regarding the matter between the two groups (around June 18), Williams said “City officials made it clear to us that we could not prevent a city Council person from speaking at a city-sponsored event.”

Williams said the committee met the next day and "decided to invite all Council Members to speak in an effort to prevent any attempt of political grandstanding. On June 20, we offered a solution to city officials that we’d carve out time – 45 seconds, following their format of timing at Council meetings -- within the program for all Council to talk about “what Juneteenth meant to them.”

Councilman Bob Pawlowski, along with other Council Members, balked at this arrangement and asked his speaking time to be given to Boyer, given the significance of the occasion. Pawlowski said his request was rejected by the Juneteenth committee, who insisted that Council Members could not pass their time off to Boyer.

Boyer said, “Now imagine, I am a volunteer. I am working and talking to residents on the phone during the week, trying to solve issues, and I’m getting five or six calls involving Council Members, city employees and the Council president discussing me speaking at a Juneteenth event and a group of people saying the reason is, they don’t consider me as Black. That is disgusting. It is outright disrespectful."

“We cannot be hypocrites," he continued. “If Black people are truly free, we can have different opinions without being called, ‘not Black.’ Sometimes we discuss race in general terms, but now it is staring us in the face. Does being a Democrat or a Liberal make one Black, while anything else does not? Don’t you see the hypocrisy in that?”

"In the end, Councilman Boyer spoke (along with the others who accepted our invitation to speak)," said Williams.

Several of the Council Members supported Boyer’s Common Council address.

“I am very impressed with Councilman Jamel Boyer’s bravery, as he spoke not only about his own personal hurt, but also the fact that our whole community loses when politics supersede integrity and common sense,” said Mayor Elizabeth Fagan, MD.

“Clearly, I am not alone in my thoughts, as the entire chamber burst into a standing ovation when Mr. Boyer finished speaking. I firmly believe the Juneteenth committee missed a wonderful opportunity to highlight Summit’s first-ever elected Black American male Councilmember at Friday evening’s celebration. Going forward, we will ensure that this celebration, and all Summit’s celebrations, underscore our core values of liberty and justice for all,” said Fagan.

“My fellow Councilmember Jamel Boyer’s comments at the Council meeting were heartfelt and sobering,” said Council Member Delia Hamlet. “It is incredibly disappointing that the Juneteenth Committee would attempt to prohibit Mr. Boyer from speaking at their event on Friday evening.”

Hamlet said that “Mr. Boyer is a proud long-time Summit resident, a proud Republican and a proud Black American, among other things.  He was elected by our community to serve Summit, and he is serving all of us with dedication and ability.

“I promise, I will do my best to make certain that going forward, the Juneteenth committee does more to focus on history and progress with inclusivity, rather than partisanship, leading the way,” Hamlet said.

"I deeply appreciate the opportunity to participate in our Juneteenth celebration, an event that embodies our commitment to remembrance and progress," said Common Council President Lisa Allen. "I also continue to be very proud to share the dais with Councilman Jamel Boyer. He is a critical thinker who brings energy and positivity to our city’s leadership and community; and I found his words moving at the Council meeting.

“As Summit’s first elected Black American male to city Council, Mr. Boyer should have been encouraged to speak, not discouraged. Please know that going forward we will make certain that any celebration the City of Summit organizes will transcend politics, and prioritize inclusion for everyone,” said Allen.

On Monday, TAPinto Summit contacted Councilman Greg Vartan, the only Councilman from the Democratic Party to attend the meeting, and provided him the opportunity to share his thoughts by Tuesday night.  As of publication, he has not responded.

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