Organized by Zay Black and For The People Foundation, the picnic with barbecue, free drinks and music attracted local families and friends to come together and support the black community. 

“It’s amazing to see that nationally more people are paying attention to Juneteenth,” Black said. “I love to see people of every color to come together and celebrate this important day and our freedom.”

The city’s Mayor Steve Fulop signed an executive order on Wednesday to make Juneteenth an official city holiday. 

Local residents at the the picnic. Photo by Shiyu Xu

A man making a poster for the Juneteenth picnic. Photo by Shiyu Xu

People dancing at the Juneteenth picnic. Photo by Shiyu Xu

Local residents at the Juneteenth picnic. Photo by Shiyu Xu

A family playing hide and seek at the Juneteenth picnic in Jersey City. Photo by Shiyu Xu

Free barbecue at the Juneteenth picnic in Jersey City. Photo by Shiyu Xu

Residents gathered at the Juneteenth picnic in Jersey City. Photo by Shiyu Xu

Local residents gathered at the Juneteenth picnic in Jersey City. Photo by Shiyu Xu

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Created both by amateurs and professionals, a vast collection of artworks rapidly spread on social media with hashtags such as #blacklivesmatter, #georgefloyd, #icantbreathe, #saytheirnames and #BLM.

Abby Zeciroski, 44, a Chicago based artist, combines traditional print images, digital scans and painting to present her views on segregation. 

Zeciroski has also been an activist in Chicago for LGBT rights, police brutality, the drug war, animal rights for more than 20 years.

“In my city, there are invisible walls,” Zeciroski said. “I want people to go beyond slogans. I want people to realize that all my art is interconnected.”

Emily, 20, painted a portrait of George Floyd’s face with his last words “I can’t breathe” and got almost four thousand likes on Instagram. She said that social media platforms enable young artists like her to deliver their messages to the world faster than ever.

“The fact that I posted a painting of George Floyd and someone knew him saw it and thanked me for it, It blew my mind,” Emily said. “I’m so happy that I am part of this movement now.”

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Led by Nevin Perkins from the Jersey City based, Black Men United Coalition and Jersey City Anti Violence Coalition, marchers called for the end of police brutality as they chanted names of Black Americans who have been killed by police.

“No Justice, No peace!” “George! Floyd!” the crowd chanted in unison. “Ahmaud Arbery!” “Breonna! Taylor!”

Floyd, a 46-year-old black man, was killed on May 25 after Derek Chauvin, a white Minneapolis police officer, knelt on his neck for several minutes while Floyd was handcuffed.

Floyd’s death has sparked protests over 700 cities and towns across all 50 states, according to USA Today. 

Many rallies had turned violent, with people setting police vehicles on fire, smashing windows and looting.

Demonstrations in Jersey City remained peaceful. Officers did not directly engage the crowd during the rallies.

Protesters holding up signs to call for justice for George Floyd. Photo by Shiyu Xu

“No Justice, No peace!” the crowd chanted in unison. Photo by Shiyu Xu

Protesters holding up signs to call for justice for George Floyd. Photo by Shiyu Xu

Police stood at the balcony of the city hall during the rallies. Photo by Shiyu Xu

Protesters holding up signs to call for justice for George Floyd. Photo by Shiyu Xu

Jersey City’s local residents painted “Black Lives Matter” on the ground. Photo by Shiyu Xu

Protester holding a sign to demonstrate justice to end racism. Photo by Shiyu Xu

Hundreds of protesters convened outside of Jersey City’s City Hall on June 6 to demand justice for George Floyd. Photo by Shiyu Xu

Protesters holding up signs to call for justice for George Floyd. Photo by Shiyu Xu

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Miller who also handled communications for the coronavirus task force said she was asymptomatic, according to NBC News.

Pence was delayed for nearly an hour for this trip to Iowa this morning. Six Staffers who had contact with the infected aide were removed from his plane, according to a senior administration official. 

The confirmation came one day after the news that a personal valet for President Trump tested positive for the virus.

It is the second time the White House has announced a Pence staff member tested positive for the coronavirus. The first tested positive in March.

As of Friday, more than 75,000 Americans have died of Covid-19, and more than 1.2 million have tested positive.

“We are finally ahead of this virus,” Cuomo said.

For the first time since the pandemic outbreak, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo declared on Friday that his state is finally ahead of its battle against the coronavirus.

“Now I feel for the first time we’re actually ahead of it. We have shown that we can control the beast,” Cuomo said.

Total hospitalizations are down to 8,196, from more than 18,000 at the peak. The daily death toll is at about 200, down from a high of nearly 800, Cuomo said at a press briefing.

He also predicted the state to “see a steady sharp decline” in new hospitalizations, which are still around 600 a day.

Cuomo urged residents to stay cautious as another wave could hit in the future. 

“We haven’t killed the beast, but we’re ahead of it,” he said. “We are ahead of it, and we are in control of our own destiny.”

NY Pause, the name for the state’s stay-at-home measures, will still continue until May 15, Cuomo said. 

California starts to reopen today

America’s most populated state California is taking the first significant step to reopen its economy on Friday by easing restrictions for certain businesses. 

California Governor Gavin Newsom unveiled his plan to allow small retail stores to open. 

Select retailers such as clothing, flowers, furniture and books can reopen to curbside pickup and delivery options. In-store shopping is still not permitted.

Friday’s move is the first of two phases in “Stage 2″ of the state’s four-part reopening plan. 

In hard-hit Los Angeles County, the state’s epicenter, Mayor Eric Garcetti warned that reopening is not “the flipping on of a switch.” 

Garcetti added that local beaches will remain closed.

Shanghai Disneyland reopening tickets sell out in minutes

On the other side of the world in Shanghai, China, people can not wait to jump at a chance to visit the amusement park for the first time since the COVID-19 outbreak forced the park to close on Jan. 25.

Tickets for Monday’s reopening of Shanghai Disney sold out within minutes, according to NPR.

The park’s officials said that visitors will be required to wear face masks at all times unless they are eating.

Visitors are also required to practice physical distancing.

There will be no selfies with famous Disney characters and crowd-oriented features, such as children’s play areas and theater shows, will remain shut down.

“I screamed when I got the ticket,” Shanghai resident Shuwen Chen said. “I’ve been waiting for months to hang out with my friends at Disneyland.”

The park usually sees around 80,000 visitors per day, according to CNBC, but the government has mandated Disney operate at 30% capacity. 

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Trump said that Georgia has not yet met the requirements to enter “Phase 1” of the White House plan to reopen the country.

“I want him to do what he thinks is right, but I disagree with him on what he’s doing,” Trump said.

Kemp is allowing nonessential business such as spas, tattoo shops, hair salons, movie theaters and bowling alleys to reopen this week so long as they follow physical distancing orders.

“I love those people who use all of those things,” Trump said. “I love them, but they can wait just a little bit longer. Because safety has to predominate.”

White House’s guidelines recommends 14 days of declining new infections before moving to the reopening phase Kemp called for. 

“Maybe you wait a little bit longer until you get to a phase 2. So do I agree with him? No, but I respect him and I will let him make his decision,” Trump said. “Would I do that? No … But I’m going to let him make his decision, but I told him, I totally disagree.”

Trump also said that he is planning to continue his tradition of holding a July 4 celebration in Washington, DC’s national mall, like last year.

“As you know, we’re gonna be doing it. Last year was a tremendous success and I would imagine we’ll do it,” he said. “Hopefully, I can use the term ‘forever.’ That was a great success, as you remember.”

Trump said that Robert Redfield, the CDC director, was “totally misquoted” saying that there would be a second wave of coronavirus in the autumn, calling The Washington Post’s headline “totally inaccurate”.

Redfield and Dr. Deborah Birx both noted that there is a potential for a second wave of coronavirus in the fall. Redfield said  that it’s important to prepare for two viruses circulating in the fall, a combination of coronavirus and flu.

But Trump predicted otherwise. 

“If it comes back, though, it won’t be coming back in the form that it was,” he said. “It will be coming back in smaller doses that we can contain.”

Trump also signed an executive order today to ban immigration for 60 days to the United States as the nation’s economy continues to tremble under the coronavirus pandemic. 

He said the ban aims to ensure that U.S. jobs created after the country re-opens go first to American workers. 

The coronavirus outbreak has infected more than 825,300 people in the U.S. and has killed at least 45,075, the highest death toll of any country.

As the epicenter of the crisis, New York State saw a decline of the confirmed cases, but Governor Andrew Cuomo still emphasizes the importance of testing and urges people to stay alarmed.

Cuomo announced today that the state is launching a coronavirus testing and tracing program to build a “tracing army” who will collect data on the spread of coronavirus in the tri-state area.

Former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg is donating millions of dollars to help finance the program. He will also design and develop the program. 

Cuomo said the state has already started tracing with about 500 tracers. 

“This entire operation has never been done before. It’s an intimidating exercise,” Cuomo said. “But I say so what? It’s what we have to do now.”

Cuomo also said he would not allow political pressure to decide when the state reopens. He said he would not risk New Yorkers’ lives by reopening too quickly.

“This is a marathon, not a sprint,” he said.

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