Here are the 2023 Juneteenth events in Portsmouth and what to know before you go

PORTSMOUTH — Records show in 1645 the first known Black person in Portsmouth was an enslaved man captured from Guinea who was sold to a man residing in the Piscataqua region.

That’s according to the Black Heritage Trail of New Hampshire. The Portsmouth-based nonprofit organization is busy preparing for 2023 Juneteenth events. The federal holiday on June 19 marks, June 19, 1865, when southern slaves were told they were no longer enslaved, more than two years after being granted freedom by the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863.

The Black Heritage Trail’s Juneteenth festivities this year — titled “Reading the Bones: Celebrating the African Diaspora” — are running through the Monday, June 19 holiday. The Juneteenth events are happening as Portsmouth commemorates the 400th anniversary since its settlement in 1623.

“We wanted to include other voices in that celebration other than the colonial voices that were being celebrated,” JerriAnne Boggis, executive director of the Black Heritage Trail, noted of the city’s 400th anniversary. “New Hampshire has a richer history that goes before and beyond colonization. We thought we would focus on the African diaspora and start where the African-American story started in our region.”

The holiday, Boggis said, is not only a celebration of Black culture, but an opportunity to rethink the way the nation’s history has been taught.

“So many times, we try to separate African-American culture and African-American history from America’s history, as if it’s two separate things. They cannot exist in a vacuum if you were telling the story of America,” Boggis said. “If we’re telling the story of America, we have to tell the Native American story. We have to tell the story of enslavement. We have to tell the Asian story and of how they came to be, and we have to tell the white story. They’re not exclusive of each other.”

Here's a look at the organization's Juneteenth events:

'Still, Uprooted? Heartache and Hope in New Hampshire' panel discussion

6 p.m. Wednesday, June 14 at Currier Museum in Manchester. The discussion is based on a 2009 documentary produced at the University of New Hampshire's Center for Humanities that tells the story of five refugees who were re-settled in New Hampshire. Presenters include Rashida Eltag Mohamed, domestic and sexual violence advocate for the Manchester Police Department; Anzura Gakwaya of NeighborWorks Southern New Hampshire and Fisto Ndayishimiye of Change for Concord. The event is free and open to the public.

'If You Knew, Let it Be Us' art exhibit

5 p.m. Friday, June 16 at 3S Artspace in Portsmouth. McKinley Wallace and other artists will engage in conversation about their work. "Exploring race, history, and intersectionality, Wallace’s artistic ideas are often expressed in a graphic style that incorporates realism, minimalism, and hard-edge painting," according to a description of the event. This event is free and open to the public.

Reggae Festival

Noon Saturday, June 17 at Strawbery Banke Museum in Portsmouth. The event, dubbed ““Chanting Down Babylon: Redemption Songs of the Diaspora,” the festival will feature performers from the United States and Jamaica. Marcia Griffiths, Brigadier Jerry, Nadine Southerland, Onix Brown, Lady G and Glen Washington will perform. Caribbean foods and craft vendors will be available. Tickets are on sale at blackheritagetrailnh.org/reggae-festival.

Dance performance

4 p.m. Sunday, June 18 at The Music Hall in Portsmouth. Camille A. Brown and Dancers will perform. The group is "reclaiming Black narratives for Black and brown people and elevating African Diasporic culture to its rightful place in American society," according to a description of the event. Tickets are being sold at themusichall.org/events/camilleabrowndancers.

African drumming

11 a.m. Monday, June 19 at African Burying Ground, Chestnut Street in Portsmouth. The Juneteenth drumming and dancing performance by the Akwaaba Ensemble is free and open to the public. The Akwaaba Ensemble features drummers and dancers hailing from Ghana and Guinea. The group performs at community events, schools, colleges and festivals, while also occasionally holding workshops.

“The idea is to share with the community what I do as an African drummer and musician so other people know more about the culture,” said Theo Martey, who formed the group, which has been popular in past Portsmouth performances.

"The Healing Rhythm of the Drums” is the title for this year's performance.

“We’re going to be doing some call and response, where the audience will be able to participate as well to feel connected to the event,” Martey said. “It’s about involving everybody at the grounds.”

Gospel choir performance

2 p.m. Monday, June 19 at South Church in Portsmouth. This event features a performance by the Howard Gospel Choir. Tickets for this event are $35. Information: blackheritagetrailnh.org/juneteenth-celebration-2023.

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Juneteenth 2023 events in Portsmouth NH