Juneteenth on the Vineyard arrives next week with a full schedule of community, culinary and academic events to celebrate the holiday.
The day was recognized as a federal holiday in 2021, commemorating June 19, 1865, when Major General Gordon Granger announced the end of the Civil War and slavery in Galveston, Tex. President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation went into effect in 1863 but it would take two more years before the end of slavery was recognized in Texas.
Inkwell Beach in Oak Bluffs hosts an all-day beach party on June 19, complete with kayaking lessons, games and refreshments. At noon, there will be a Juneteenth flag raising ceremony at the Tabernacle.
That same afternoon at Union Chapel in Oak Bluffs, Lieut. Commander Albion Llewellyn, an associate professor at Massachusetts Maritime Academy, and Patrick Nobrega, director of the Paul Cuffe Center for Inclusion at the academy, will take part in a panel about representation in the maritime industry.
Mr. Llewellyn said he is “elated” to share his findings on how best to get more people of color involved in the industry. For him, it comes down to outreach.
“We can, as a society, do better.... That starts from recruiting,” he said. “I cannot recruit someone if individuals [of color] do not know about this type of industry.”
Vineyard Gazette Media Group publisher Monica Brady-Myerov moderates the panel, which begins at 3 p.m.
The Juneteenth Jubilee takes place Saturday, June 22 from 1 to 5 p.m. at Union Chapel, featuring actor and musician Malik Yoba and Cong. Ayanna Pressley. Author and historian Jessica B. Harris leads the closing ceremony.
On Sunday, June 23 at Union Chapel, Rev. Frederick Haynes 3rd presents a Juneteenth service. Reverend Haynes is a former CEO and president of civil rights organization Rainbow PUSH Coalition. Following the service, Ms. Harris will lead a walk-to-the-water ceremony, headed to Inkwell Beach.
Food is also on the menu Sunday, with a Juneteenth Gospel Brunch beginning at 10 a.m. at the Harbor View Hotel. Then it’s back to Oak Bluffs in the afternoon for the Taste of Juneteenth hosted by the MV NAACP. The event takes place at the Portuguese American Club from 4 to 8 p.m. and showcases local BIPOC chefs.
The Martha’s Vineyard Museum in Vineyard Haven hosts two different events during the week. On the evening of Juneteenth, the museum presents Demola the Violinist for a fundraising event to raise funds for the Vineyard branch of the Association for the Study of African American Life and History. The museum also has a new exhibit up, entitled Sailing to Freedom, which explores the maritime dimensions of the underground railroad. Historian Dr. Timothy Walker gives a presentation on the topic at 2 p.m. on June 21.
Much of the exhibit is sourced from the New Bedford Whaling Museum but also contains new, original research. Museum executive director Heather Seger said she and her team were “intentional” about making sure the exhibit coincided with Juneteenth.
“[It’s] exciting that we have so much going on across the Island on Juneteenth and have for a couple of years now,” she said. “The museum is really honored to be a part of that.”
Visit Martha’s Vineyard Magazine’s Juneteenth Jubilee Program of Events for a complete list of the week’s festivities.
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