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The Keene Family YMCA, Keene Public Library and other local organizations will celebrate Juneteenth this weekend.
Juneteenth, which became a recognized federal holiday last year, is celebrated annually on June 19 and commemorates the emancipation of people in slavery in the United States. New Hampshire formally recognized Juneteenth as a state holiday in 2019.
Events planned locally include the city of Keene’s Juneteenth celebration Saturday in Railroad Square.
Scheduled from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., it will feature TJ Wheeler, a blues singer and New Hampshire native, and Rev. Lillian Buckley.
The city’s celebrations officially kick off the night before — on Friday at 6 p.m. — with a free family dinner at the Keene Public Library’s Cohen Hall. The dinner will include a performance from Edwin Owusu, a local hip hop artist. Those who are interested can register on the library’s website.
Owusu, known under his stage name SINNN, was born in Ghana and raised in the Bronx.
In between songs, he will share his experience coming to the United States, integrating into a new community and what it’s like having ties to two different cultures, said Gail Zachariah, head of engagement and youth services at the Keene Public Library.
Yahso Jamaican Grille on Main Street in Keene will host a Juneteenth party on Friday starting at 9 p.m.
Throughout the weekend, the Keene Family YMCA will offer a self-guided walk of the Freedom Journey Trail, on the Y’s grounds on Summit Road. The walk will highlight important historical events that have impacted the freedom struggle for Black Americans, according to a news release.
The trail walk, recurring from last year, has been expanded to include new signs about “the work of some of the African-American medical pioneers who provided leadership that improved the health of millions of people in this country,” said Gail Somers, director of development and community impact at the Keene Family YMCA, in a news release.
These new signs fit with the event’s overall theme of “Freedom to Heal, Embracing Black Health & Wellness.”
A guided walk of the trail will be available on Saturday from 9 to 11 a.m.
Other events slated for that day include a gospel concert from Boston-based choir Joyful Voices of Inspiration at St. James Episcopal Church in Keene and a Conversation About Health and Race hosted by the Keene Y.
The concert starts at 2:30 p.m.
The Keene Public Library will be at Saturday’s events at the Y and Railroad Square handing out buttons and books promoting diversity.
Zachariah emphasized the importance of these books, as they are “windows and mirrors,” in which readers can both see themselves reflected in the content and learn more about other cultures.
“We’re all part of the same world and we want everybody to kind of understand one another,” she said.
For more information about this year’s Juneteenth celebrations, visit keeneymca.org.
Also on tap is a ceremony on Sunday to correct Brattleboro’s Civil War monument. A new plaque, placed next to the existing monument, will honor previously unrecognized soldiers. These include soldiers of color and substitute soldiers, who fought in place of wealthier men who paid to avoid service.
“In 2021, the Brattleboro Selectboard authorized the placement of this additional plaque to acknowledge the structural racism and classism that were built into this monument, and to set the record straight by honoring those who were previously excluded,” according to the plaque’s text.
The plaque dedication ceremony will begin at 2 p.m. on the Brattleboro Common.
Caitlin Howard can be reached at 352-1234, extension 1441, or choward@keenesentinel.com.
These articles are being shared by partners in The Granite State News Collaborative. For more information visit collaborativenh.org.
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