Juneteenth is Monday. Here's 5 events where you can join and participate

June 19, also known as Juneteenth, marks the day in 1865 when troops arrived in Galveston, Texas, to take control of the state and free about 250,000 enslaved people.

Although the Emancipation Proclamation was signed two years earlier, it applied only to areas under Confederate control — not border states or rebel areas under Union rule.

Texas was the first state to recognize Juneteenth as an official holiday, in 1979. Massachusetts began recognizing it in 2007, under then-Gov. Deval Patrick.

Juneteenth became a national holiday in 2021.

Here's how a few MetroWest communities are celebrating Juneteenth:

Community Vibes Framingham

Rick Utaegbulam, founder of Community Vibes Framingham, describes the group's third JuneteenthFest this Saturday as a "Black barbecue for the community."

According to Utaegbulam, celebrating Juneteenth is not only about celebrating the event, but more importantly, "the work that needs to be done... it's a time to recognize the progress made as well."

Community Vibes is a local activist organization founded in 2020 to provide a voice for the voiceless, according to Utaegbulam.

Juneteenth remembered: Demonstrators in downtown Framingham call for social justice

Saturday's event, which runs from 1-6 p.m., will feature food, music, games and a raffle, as well as speakers and performers. It takes place at Framingham Farm Pond on Dudley Road.

Those interested in attending can RSVP through the event's Eventbrite page.

Ashland Juneteenth Commemoration

The Ashland Farmers Market and Ashland Residents for Equity & Action (AREA) will commemorate Juneteenth from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday at the farmers market, 125 Front St.

Activities will include dancing and skits by the Boston Rhythm Riders Movement; guest speaker Mishawn Davis-Eyene, of Mass Bay Community College; Ashland student poetry; and African BBQ from Sentie’s Kitchen.

Medway Marches

Medway Marches, which seeks to create an inclusive community for people of color, is celebrating Juneteenth this year at Medway Community Farm. From noon to 4 p.m. next Monday, Medway Marches is celebrating Black artists and Black-owned businesses with performers, a marketplace and a craft beer tent.

The event will also include a reading of "What, to the Slave, is the 4th of July?" by Federick Douglass, as well as food trucks and performances by Pan Neubean Steel, Sympli Whitney and Michael Bond.

Natick Center Cultural District

From 1-4 p.m. next Monday, the Natick Common will host a Juneteenth event put on by the Natick Center Cultural District. Greater Framingham Community Church's Rev. Dr. J. Anthony Lloyd will speak at the event, which will also feature performances by The Drum Nomads, Crocodile River Music and Slow Boat. The event will also include a celebration for Natick's first Black woman Select Board member, Kristen Pope. She was elected earlier this spring.

At 6:30 p.m., a screening of the film "Black N' Black" will be held at the Common Street Spiritual Center. All events are free and open to all.

Natick Historical Society

Also in Natick, several community members will read aloud Frederick Douglass' 1852 speech, "What, to the Slave, is the Fourth of July?" The reading takes place at 10 a.m. Monday on the Morse Institute Library lawn and is hosted by the Natick Historical Society.

Douglass speech: Natick teens read 'What, to the slave, is the Fourth of July?"

Natick resident and historian Brenna Greer will offer an introduction to the speech and host a conversation afterward.

The reading will be filmed by Natick Pegasus and is free and open to all. Those interested in reading part of the speech can sign up online.

This article originally appeared on MetroWest Daily News: Community groups have Juneteenth events scheduled for Monday