Hingham group to host its third Juneteenth event: 'A rising tide lifts all boats'
HINGHAM – The town will celebrate Black culture with live music, food, face painting, a student contest and more in Hingham Harbor next month.
The third annual Juneteenth Freedom Day celebration will be held from 3 to 5 p.m. Monday, June 19, at the bandstand in Hingham Harbor, 91 Otis St.
Everyone involved, including the performers and those selling food at the event, will be Black or brown, said Katie Sutton, of the Hingham Unity Council, which organized the event.
“We want to uplift and expose this holiday and celebrate it with our community members who are people of color. We want to welcome people from surrounding communities to come join with us and celebrate with us,” Sutton said.
Sympli Whitney, a musician who performs covers and original music, will perform. There will also be an African drum performance by Moussa Traore and a performance of the Black National Anthem by gospel artist Rakeem Andre.
Face painting, a bounce house and an obstacle course will keep the kids busy. Morrell’s BBQ and Dominican’s Chimis will provide food.
Sutton said there is still a lot of work to do, but the event has received the support of other South Shore groups. The Hingham Arts Alliance provided a grant to pay for all the performances.
“A rising tide lifts all boats,” Sutton said. “We’re all working together to make our community the best it can be.”
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Sutton said the Juneteenth event was a success the last two years, with about 150 to 200 attendees.
Winners of the unity council's Student Artistic Expression contest will be announced at the event. Students in grades pre-K through 12 who live or attend school on the South Shore are invited toshare their views on the theme: Why is it important to celebrate Juneteenth?
Visual or performance art, essays and other work will be accepted. Submissions are due June 5. For more information, visit hinghamunity.org.
Juneteenth marks the day on June 19, 1865, when Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger informed people in Galveston, Texas, that President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation two years earlier had freed enslaved African Americans in Confederate states. Juneteenth became a federal holiday in 2021.
Reach Joel Barnes at jkbarnes@patriotledger.com.
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This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: Juneteenth Freedom Day event to be held in Hingham Harbor
