Fair For All Leads Delaware County Justice Ride for Black Lives

Friday evening, a parade of a different sort traveled through several towns in Delaware County spreading a message in support of social justice for African Americans and celebrating Juneteenth when slavery in the United States officially ended. According to event organizing group Fair for All, a 50-vehicle “Justice Ride for Black Lives” brigade that stretched out for about 2 miles went through Margaretville, Andes, Delhi, Hamden and Walton, with vehicles displaying Black Lives Matter messages and garnering attention along the way. The ride ended at the Walton Cemetery where those attending left flowers to honor the buried Union soldiers .

The Ride was organized by a non-profit, volunteer group called "Fair For All", an organization that petitioned the Delaware County Fair in 2017 to ban the sale and display of Confederate flags. The pressure from Fair for All resulted in the NYS Attorney General condemning the Confederate flag’s sale at county fairs. Also NY State Agriculture Commissioner Richard Ball sent a letter to every fair board urging that Confederate merchandise no longer be sold. Then in 2019, the Delaware County Fair prohibited merchants from displaying full-sized Confederate flags, but still allowed them to be sold, and to be displayed on smaller Confederate-themed items, such as hats and belt buckles.