Juneteenth commemorated with flag raising ceremony

 

By DAN TOMASELLO

LYNNFIELD — A torrential downpour did not stop 50 residents from attending the first annual Juneteenth Flag Raising Ceremony outside of Town Hall on Wednesday, June 14.

Lynnfield for Love and the North Shore Juneteenth Association hosted the flag raising ceremony on the front steps of Town Hall. Lynnfield for Love member Darlene Kumar thanked the 50 residents for attending the ceremony.

Medford-based poet Terry Carter said Juneteenth is also referred to as Juneteenth National Independence Day, Jubilee Day, Emancipation Day, Freedom Day and Black Independence Day.

“It is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the emancipation of enslaved African-Americans and it is also observed as an annual celebration of African-American culture,” said Carter. “Originating in Galveston, Texas, Juneteenth has been celebrated yearly on June 19 in various parts of the United States since 1865. The day was recognized as a federal holiday on June 17, 2021, when President Joe Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act into law.”

Carter recalled that Union Army Major Gen. Gordon Granger issued an order on June 19, 1865 that freed Texas slaves.

“Texas was the last state in the Confederacy with institutional slavery,” said Carter. “President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation issued on Jan. 1, 1863 had freed the enslaved people of Texas and all of the other Southern secessionist states of the Confederacy except for the parts of the states that were not in rebellion. Enforcement of the proclamation generally relied on the advancement of Union troops. Texas, as the most remote state of the former Confederacy, had a low presence of Union troops as the American Civil War ended. Thus, enforcement there had been slow and inconsistent prior to Gen. Granger’s announcement.”

Carter said Juneteenth celebrations around the country often include reading the Emancipation Proclamation, reading literary works by African-Americans and singing the Black National Anthem, “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” by James Wheldon.

“When Juneteenth became a federal holiday on June 17, 2021, it was the first new federal holiday since Martin Luther King Jr. Day was adopted in 1983,” said Carter. “The holiday is the longest running African-American holiday and has been called America’s Second Independence Day.”

 

 

Carter was pleased that the town was commemorating Juneteenth for the second straight year. Similar to his home city of Medford, Carter said Lynnfield is an “old town in the commonwealth with fond recollections of simpler times and revered traditions.”

“I will freely admit that both of our hometowns are living in a much different world today,” said Carter. “One that is seemingly more tense, more troubled and more terrifying than many of us can easily remember. Still, having your town pushing forward to host the celebration of Black history and recognizing an ongoing journey to a more meaningful American dream is helping my emotional and spiritual well-being more than you might imagine. While this Juneteenth Celebration and Flag Raising Ceremony is hopeful and forward-looking, it is also symbolic of how far we have yet to go in facing past demons of racism and division in our sister cities, states and nations.”

Carter also read a piece of prose and a poem he had written about Juneteenth. After he finished reading both works, he was given a round of applause.

Assistant Town Administrator Bob Curtin read a Juneteenth proclamation from the Select Board. He said holding the Juneteenth Flag Raising Ceremony on Flag Day was a fitting tribute.

“I think it is fitting we do this on Flag Day because we fought for the full emancipation from the horrors of slavery,” said Curtin. “It symbolizes not just the country that we are, but the country we are striving to become.”

While reading the Juneteenth Proclamation, Curtin recalled that, “June 19 has a special meaning to African-Americans.”

“Juneteenth has been celebrated by the African-American community for over 150 years,” said Curtin. “We, the Select Board, do hereby proclaim June 19, 2023 as Juneteenth in Lynnfield and urge all citizens to become more aware of the significance of this celebration in African-American history and in the heritage of our nation.”

Lynnfield for Love member Darlene Kumar read a message from State Sen. Brendan Crighton (D-Lynn), who was unable to attend the ceremony because he was coaching his son Nate’s baseball game.

“Thank you to the town of Lynnfield, the North Shore Juneteenth Association and all of the volunteers who made this celebration possible,” Crighton wrote. “Despite growing up in a very diverse community, we never learned about this important day nor were there community events where we could all come together to celebrate. In 2020, the North Shore Juneteenth Association inspired me to file an amendment that eventually became law that established Juneteenth as a state holiday in Massachusetts. Later, as we all know, our nation did the same. We are proud of the progress we have made, but more work needs to be done.”

Lynn City Councilor Nicole McClain, who is president of the North Shore Juneteenth Association, thanked the 50 residents for coming to the Juneteenth Flag Raising Ceremony.

“I appreciate all of you coming here to commemorate the freedom of Black Americans and to stand in solidarity with the struggles and the achievements of Black Americans in your community,” said McClain.

North Shore Juneteenth Association Planning Committee member Kashawn Little recalled that he is originally from North Carolina and works as a social worker for the Department of Children and Families.

“When I hear the words freed slaves, I hear an oxymoron,” said Little. “Almost 404 years ago in August 1619, the first recorded Africans arrived in Virginia. Millions of years of history, identity, culture and community was lost as the result of millions of Africans dying at sea during the slave trade pandemic.”

 

 

Little recalled that slave James Armistead Lafayette was a “double agent who helped George Washington secure a victory at the Battle of Yorktown” during the Revolutionary War in 1781.

“To me, James Armistead Lafayette is the greatest American of all time,” said Little. “James Armistead Lafayette was not even free after the war. James Armistead Lafayette returned to life as a slave until 1787.”

Little said Juneteenth is an opportunity to “celebrate not only the freedom of Black Americans, but Black Americans themselves.”

“Juneteenth is a time to take a look at the complex experiences that we have lived through,” said Little. “It is imperative to the world to acknowledge who we are. One of the goals of the North Shore Juneteenth Association is to educate the community about why Juneteenth is important and why this holiday should be celebrated.”

A torrential downpour moved into town while Little was speaking, but the ceremony’s attendees kept listening.

“The star on the flag you are about to see represents freedom for African-Americans from all 50 states,” said Little. “Freedom and hope is what Black Americans hung on to. It represents a new beginning for Black Americans.”

 

 

The ceremony concluded with U.S. Marines Jazmin Ampudia and Yasalis Amparo raising the Juneteenth flag while Fidelia Eleazu sang the Black National Anthem, “Lift Every Voice and Sing” by James Wheldon. The ceremony’s attendees also enjoyed red velvet cupcakes and red punch in the rain.