Juneteenth celebrations on Cape Cod include music, food and history

People will have the chance to celebrate Juneteenth at the Aptuxcet Trading Post Museum in Bourne with a family picnic and listening to volunteers read Frederick Douglass’ 1852 speech “What is the 4th of July to the Slave ?

A community discussion will follow.

“This event commemorates Juneteenth and celebrates the enduring legacy of Frederick Douglass, a man who escaped slavery, was an influential abolitionist and one of the most famous public speakers of his time,” according to a written statement from the Bourne Historical Society.

The Bourne event will take place from 5pm to 7:30pm on Wednesday June 19. This holiday commemorates June 19, 1865, when Union troops freed 250,000 still enslaved African Americans across Texas more than 2 years after President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation. .

The Bourne Historical Society planned the celebration in partnership with the Bourne-Wareham Race Amity Group and the Jonathan Bourne Public Library, funded by the Mass Cultural Council.

State Rep. David Vieira, R-Falmouth, dressed as Union Army Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger, stands next to Jeanne Morrison of Hyannis during a Juneteenth reenactment on the lawn of the Falmouth Public Library in 2022.

A family picnic dinner is organized on the Aptucxet grounds. Although picnic tables are available, participants can also bring blankets and chairs, as well as a dessert or side dish to share. The company offers grilled hot dogs, Italian sausages, vegan sausages, drinks and desserts.

There is also a community discussion of Douglass’ speech and activities for children, which include a story walk, storybook corner and craft activities.

Volunteer to read or register in advance by email: BourneHistoricalSociety@comcast.net.

Juneteenth Celebration in Barnstable

In Barnstable, a Juneteenth celebration will be held from 1 to 1:30 p.m. on June 19 in the outdoor courtyard of the John F. Kennedy Hyannis Museum at 397 Main St.

At the event hosted by civil rights leader Jeanne Morrison and her family, guests will learn about “the history and significance of Juneteenth, including the contributions of Black Civil War heroes and heroines with ties to the Massachusetts and Cape Cod,” said a statement from the organizers. .

Barnstable town officials, legislative and community leaders, as well as members of the Cape Cod NAACP Branch, Amplify POC, Inc. and the Kennedy Museum will join the Juneteenth commemoration. Morrison will narrate the event, which includes reading excerpts from the Emancipation Proclamation. The ceremony will end with a flag raising.

A Day of Juneteenth Events in Falmouth

Falmouth School Superintendent Lori Duerr holds the Seventeenth flag with her husband, Doug, during the June 2022 Seventeenth reenactment on the Falmouth Public Library lawn.  State Rep. David Vieira, R-Falmouth, rear, is dressed as Union Commander Gordon Granger.

Falmouth School Superintendent Lori Duerr holds the Seventeenth flag with her husband, Doug, during the June 2022 Seventeenth reenactment on the Falmouth Public Library lawn. State Rep. David Vieira, R-Falmouth, rear, is dressed as Union Commander Gordon Granger.

Falmouth is celebrating with several events, timed so you can dedicate a full day to celebrating Juneteenth.

An event leading up to Juneteenth is the Arts Alive Festival’s Juneteenth Celebration, which begins at 10:45 a.m. June 15 under the tent on the Falmouth Library lawn. There will be drumming, food and a proclamation read by State Rep. David T, Vieira, followed by music from the Seventeenth Anniversary Celebration Choir.

On June 19, from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., Highfield Hall & Gardens offers a Juneteenth celebration with music, activities, trails in Beebe Woods and free admission to the mansion. The celebration will take place on the grounds of 56 Highfield Drive, Falmouth. Customers are welcome to bring a non-perishable food item to the Falmouth service center.

Then, from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. on June 19, Saint Barnabas Church will host a community Juneteenth celebration in its Great Hall at 91 Main Street, across from the Falmouth Village Green. All are welcome to a celebration that will include Juneteenth film clips, a panel discussion, soul food samplings, music and children’s activities. The event is free but local vendors will be selling merchandise.

To close out the day, from 7 to 9 p.m., the Woods Hole Public Library will host a free screening of “The Color Purple” in collaboration with the MBL Diversity and Inclusion Committee. The film being shown is the 2023 version, based on the award-winning book by Alice Walker and inspired by the play. The library is located at 581 Woods Hole Road.

The film screening will be followed by a Juneteenth quiz and prizes. Training Cycle: Which was the first state to issue a Juneteenth proclamation and when? Texas in 1980. When did Massachusetts issue its proclamation? 2020.

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This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: Juneteenth celebrations on Cape, honoring Slavery Day, have finally come to an end in the United States.

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