Juneteenth Events

Juneteenth at the MFA - Boston
Wednesday, June 18th

The Museum of Fine arts celebrates Juneteenth with performances by the Roxbury youth orchestra Revolution of Hope, commemorative remarks by Boston City Councilor Ayanna Pressley, an exhibition of Boston area artists, including Boston Youth Dreams, a mural project created by teenagers from around the city, a meet-up with members of Future Boston, and more. Admission to the MFA is free on Wednesdays after 4:00 PM.

Juneteenth Emancipation Observation - Roxbury
Thursday, June 19th

Celebrate the end of slavery in the United States with a keynote speech by Dr. Peniel Joseph, music and entertainment, art making with Sparc! the Art Mobile, community vendors, and fun for all ages at the National Center of Afro-American Artists. The free celebration begins at 4:00 on the museum grounds. But don't miss out on a chance to check out the exhibits at the museum while you are there: at only $5 for adults and $4 children, it is a great opportunity to view contemporary art from all over the African diaspora.

Roxbury Pride Day / Juneteenth Celebration - Franklin Park
Saturday, June 21

Cook outs and BBQ have been part of the Juneteenth tradition since its inception. The Franklin Park Playstead will be full of families picnicking from 8:00 AM to 7:00 PM. There will not be food vendors--bring your own grill and food for your family. This is a great time to meet new people and see old friends.

Juneteenth Festival - Worcester
The fourteenth annual African-American Juneteenth Festival at Institute Park in Worcester features an African-American History Tent and a Children's Tent, plus food, music, and crafts from different cultures of the African diaspora.

African-American Museums and Historical Sites

The Black Heritage Trail - Beacon Hill
Take a guided tour of some of the more important sites in the history of the free black community in Boston. In particular, check out the Freedom Rising: Road to the Civil War thematic tour to learn about the important role Boston's free blacks played in redefining freedom in the years leading up to the Civil War. 

The Museum of African-American History - Beacon Hill
The Museum of African-American History campus includes the African Meeting House (1806) and the Abiel Smith School (1835), both sites on the Black Heritage Trail. The Abiel Smith School was one the first school built specifically for educating black children and how houses the museum's exhibit galleries and store. The African Meeting House was the home of the New England Anti-Slavery Society.

African-American Patriots Tour - Boston
Gather some friends and book a group tour of pre-Revolutionary War Boston through the eyes of such African-American luminaries as Crispus Attucks, Phyllis Wheatley, Prince Hall, Peter Salem, and others. Unfortunately the Freedom Trail Association only offers public versions of this tour in February for Black History Month, but they will book group tours all year.

Juneteenth Books

For an overview of Juneteenth, check out Juneteenth: Jubilee for Freedom by June Prezler. With simple straitfoward text, this book is great for first or second graders who are just beginning to learn about the darker and more complicated parts of American History. Juneteenth: Jubilee for Freedom gives the history of Juneteenth, as well as information on how it is celebrated today.

Angela Johnson gives us a poignant imagining of what it would have been like to be a slave in Texas on June 19,1865 and learn that you were free in her book All Different Now. The watercolor illustrations by E.B. Lewis help capture the mood--both celebratory and contemplative. The end of the book has notes by both the author and illustrator, a timeline of important dates in the history of emancipation, more information about Juneteenth celebrations in history and in the present, and a glossary of key terms. This book is great for kids in first through fourth grades since the actual story is simple, but the end material allows for greater depth depending on your child's interest and aptitude.

If you have older kids, you might recommend Come Juneteenth, a novel by Ann Rinaldi that tells the story of Juneteenth from another perspective. Luli is a young white girl in Texas whose family owns slaves, and chooses not to tell them about the Emancipation Proclamation. Not even Ruth, the black girl who is "almost" like a sister, learns that she is free until the Union troops finally arrive to enforce the Emancipation Proclamation on Juneteenth. This book is recommended for ages 12 and up.

photo by the Franklin Park Coalition