GREENFIELD — The fifth annual Juneteenth celebration, spearheaded by different organizers this year, will honor Black history on Friday.
Festivities will be held from 1 to 4 p.m. at Greenfield Community College on Friday, June 19, and will include food and vendors, performances by the Twice As Smart chorus and remarks from Amilcar Shabazz, a University of Massachusetts Amherst professor of history and Afro-American studies.
“It’s gonna be a fun-filled event,” said Mpress Bennu, who previously spearheaded Juneteenth events in Greenfield prior to the Franklin County Community Development Corporation taking the reins. “We’re definitely looking forward to wonderful weather and a wonderful day.”
Juneteenth has been a federal holiday since 2021 and marks the end of slavery in America. According to History.com, the day marks the anniversary of when federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas, in 1865 to take control of the state and ensure that all enslaved people were freed. The troops’ arrival came a full two and a half years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation.
“Juneteenth, even though it’s about Black history, it’s also about American history and it’s a holiday to celebrate, like the Fourth of July,” Bennu said. “This is a community celebration. … This is a celebration for everyone — young and old, Black and white.”
Bennu said she has been riding in “the passenger seat” this year, and she is grateful to the Franklin County CDC and its Welcoming and Belonging Group for taking over the work of planning the event. She announced she would be stepping back from organizing Juneteenth festivities following last year’s celebration.
Traci Talbert, the racial justice community engagement director at the Franklin County CDC, said taking on the Juneteenth celebration was not something the organization had set out to do, but members of the Welcoming and Belonging Group felt it was important to see the festivities continue.
“It feels like a heavy lift but it feels necessary,” Talbert said.
This year’s event will be more focused on allowing attendees to enjoy community togetherness, Talbert said. She hopes to keep the speaking portion of the festivities to a minimum to allow attendees to explore the vendor booths, eat food and spend time reflecting on what Juneteenth means to them.
She noted that the flyer for this year’s event includes a banner saying “freedom, heritage, change,” in reference to conversations in the Black community about what freedom means.
“I want us to look at Juneteenth and reflect on what freedom, heritage and change mean to us,” Talbert said.
She added that she hopes people also consider what change they hope to see moving forward, and remember that while Juneteenth is a holiday celebrated on a specific day, it represents centuries of work, and work that continues today.
“Be a voice and advocate in your community,” Talbert said. “This is a continuation of Greenfield becoming a more welcoming community.”
Talbert said Northern Soul Cafe of Springfield is providing watermelon, macaroni and cheese, and fried chicken, and that while there will be some vendors selling wares, the event is free to attend and the food is being provided for free.
