Recognizing and Celebrating Juneteenth

Happy Juneteenth! Our offices will be closed today in recognition of our newest national holiday.

Juneteenth celebrates the emancipation of all enslaved people in the U.S., and asks us to reflect on the pursuit of true freedom for all. The video and links below provide some history and context around Juneteenth, as well as some of the cultural cornerstones that are embedded within our newest national holiday.

• Why All Americans Should Honor Juneteenth (video)
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6FX-Iisvrj8
• National Museum of African American History and Culture’s “Senses of Freedom: Exploring the Tastes, Sounds and Experiences of an African American Celebration”
  https://nmaahc.si.edu/juneteenth
• The Juneteenth Mixtape (podcast episode from Be Antiracist with Ibram X. Kendi)
  https://open.spotify.com/episode/1cQO41A1PK78a2OsPAZxPz
• Songs to Believe in: A Juneteenth Playlist
  https://www.npr.org/sections/pictureshow/2022/06/16/1105224652/songs-to-believe-in-a-juneteenth-playlist

Over the holiday weekend, there are several Juneteenth events in Franklin County and neighboring communities.

Saturday, June 17^th – Monday June 19^th

• A variety of events celebrating Juneteenth weekend in Amherst, ranging from lectures, movie screenings, and a variety of live arts and entertainment.
  Learn More.

Sunday, June 18^th

• 5-7 p.m. Historic Deerfield Summer Evening Strolls: Slavery, Labor, and Freedom in Deerfield. This special walking tour explores the history of labor in Deerfield, both enslaved and free. Who built the beautiful town we know today? How do we remember and honor these complicated histories in the present?
  Learn More.
• 12-3 p.m. Juneteenth Eve Concert. A celebration of Black Music Appreciation month with Wanda Houston, Tendei Muparutsa, Misty Blues, Chantell McFarland, and The Diego Mongue Band. At MA College of Liberal Arts, North Adams.
  Learn More.

Monday, June 19^th

• 12 Noon. Celebrate Juneteenth at Beacon Field in Greenfield! Includes Taste of Greenfield and a Youth Parade. Flood, clothing, craft vendors, youth groups, performers, and community.
  Learn More.
• 2 p.m. Tammy Denease’s One-Woman Performance as Elizabeth “Mumbet” Freeman. An accomplished performing artist, storyteller, actor, and playwright, Tammy Denease specializes in bringing to life the lives of very important, yet “hidden” women in history. Denease will offer her one-woman theatrical performance as Elizabeth Freeman, the first enslaved African American to file and win a freedom suit in Massachusetts. At the end of the performance, there will be ample time to for conversation with the artist.
  Learn More.

Monday June 19^th – Thursday, June 22^nd

• Baystate Health will commemorate the Week of Juneteenth with a variety of events developed by Black Employees Connecting, the Office of Diversity and Inclusion, and Health New England. All events are free, and include both virtual and in-person programming.
  Learn More.