On Thursday morning the Amistad, a replica of the historic vessel that was the setting of a slave revolt in 1839, arrived in Vineyard Haven harbor. The ship is the centerpiece of Juneteenth events happening all around the Island this weekend.
This year is the second annual formal celebration of the holiday on Martha’s Vineyard, held for the first time as an Island-wide event last year. The theme is Free as the Wind.
“The historical legacy of Juneteenth shows the value of never giving up hope in uncertain times,” said Toni Kauffman, president of the NAACP of Martha’s Vineyard.
A centerpiece of the weekend is the Amistad, a replica of the historic vessel that was the setting of a slave revolt in 1839, which arrived in Vineyard Haven harbor on Thursday morning. Tours of the ship will be free and available from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at Tisbury Wharf. (There is no parking at the site.)
On Saturday a panel of historians at the Martha’s Vineyard Museum will continue the discussion about maritime escapes to freedom. The talk will be moderated by Shelley Stewart, a board member of the museum, and features Dr. Timothy Walker, an author and historian, Lee Blake, president of the New Bedford Historical Society, Bow Van Riper, research librarian at the museum, and others.
Also on Saturday, the Juneteenth Jubilee Cultural Festival, hosted by the Inkwell Haven Foundation and the Martha’s Vineyard Camp Meeting Association, takes place. Originally scheduled for the Tabernacle in Oak Bluffs, the location was changed to Union Chapel, beginning at 3 p.m.
The cultural festival highlights the town’s role as a welcoming place for Black Americans since the 18th century. Among its credits, Oak Bluffs was listed in the Motorist Green Book, a guide for Black travelers in the mid-20th century, as an accepting and safe place to visit.
Kahina Van Dyke, a primary sponsor of the cultural festival, said the events are meant “to offer space for celebration and joy.”
The Tabernacle welcomes back Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones for a fireside chat on Saturday, and there will be musical performances throughout the day, featuring Grammy Award winner Christian Sands, Rock Noire founder Grace Gibson, R&B harpist Tulani and others.
“It’s that broad diaspora for me of different musical traditions that are all really rooted in the American culture,” Ms. Van Dyke said. “Then at the end of it, they all jam together. That’s really fun, because anything can happen.”
Ms. Van Dyke owns the Narragansett House in Oak Bluffs, where she organized her first Juneteenth celebration three years ago.
On Sunday morning in Oak Bluffs, Rev. Dr. Michael Eric Dyson presides at a special service at Union Chapel, beginning at 10 a.m.
“He is not only a political activist but he is also, as well, a historian and professor,” said Aliya Browne, president of the board of trustees of Union Chapel. “He has it all, in terms of knowing our history as well as being a religious figure in our community.”
Later in the day, the Martha’s Vineyard chapter of the NAACP hosts the Taste of Juneteenth from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Portuguese American Club in Oak Bluffs.
“We are very excited that this is the second annual Taste of Juneteenth,” Ms. Kauffman said. “This particular event is highlighting Black-owned or BIPOC-owned businesses, so we will have chefs who will be providing samples of their wonderful fares.”
On Monday, the day of Juneteenth, the Vineyard Gazette Media Group and the History Makers will host a sold-out Juneteenth Gospel Brunch at the Edgartown Yacht Club.
Ms. Kauffman said that the weekend’s festivities are especially important in the present political climate.
“I believe we are in uncertain times,” Ms. Kauffman said. “It is important that we recognize and acknowledge the history that has occurred with people of color, wherever it may touch their lives.”
For a complete list of events, visit vineyardgazette.com/juneteenth
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