People will have a chance to celebrate Juneteenth at Aptuxcet Trading Post Museum in Bourne with a family picnic and listening to volunteers read  Frederick Douglass’s 1852 speech “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?”

A community discussion will follow.

“This event commemorates Juneteenth and celebrates the enduring legacy of Frederick Douglass, a man who escaped slavery, was an influential abolitionist, and one of the most celebrated public speakers of his time,” according to a written statement from the Bourne Historical Society.

The Bourne event is from 5 to 7:30 p.m. on Juneteenth, Wednesday, June 19. The holiday commemorates June 19, 1865, when Union troops freed 250,000 African Americans still enslaved across Texas more than 2 years after President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation.

The Bourne Historical Society planned the celebration in partnership with the Bourne-Wareham Race Amity Group and the Jonathan Bourne Public Library, funded by the Mass Cultural Council.

State Rep. David Vieira, R-Falmouth, dressed as Major Gen. Gordon Granger of the Union Army, stands next to Jeanne Morrison of Hyannis at a Juneteenth reenactment on the Falmouth Public Library lawn in 2022.

There is a family-style cookout picnic supper on the Aptucxet grounds. While picnic tables are available, attendees may also bring blankets and chairs, as well as a dessert or side dish to share. The society is providing grilled hot dogs, Italian sausages, vegan sausages, beverages, and dessert.

There is also a community discussion of Douglass’ speech and children’s activities, which include  a story walk, storybook corner, and craft activities.

Volunteer to read or sign up in advance by email: BourneHistoricalSociety@comcast.net.

Juneteenth celebration in Barnstable

In Barnstable, a Juneteenth celebration takes place from 1 to 1:30 p.m. June 19 in the outside courtyard of the John F. Kennedy Hyannis Museum at 397 Main St.

At the event organized by civil rights leader Jeanne Morrison and her family, guests will learn “about the history and significance of Juneteenth, including the contributions of Black Civil War heroes and heroines with ties to Massachusetts and Cape Cod,” reads a statement from organizers.

Barnstable town officials, legislative and community leaders, as well as members of the Cape Cod Branch NAACP,  and Amplify POC, Inc. and the Kennedy Museum will join in commemorating Juneteenth. Morrison will narrate the event, which includes reading excerpts from the Emancipation Proclamation. The ceremony will end with a flag-raising. 

A day of Juneteenth events in Falmouth

Falmouth School Superintendent Lori Duerr holds the Juneteenth flag with her husband, Doug, during the 2022 Juneteenth reenactment on the Falmouth Public Library lawn. State Rep. David Vieira, R-Falmouth, in the rear, is dressed as Union commander Gordon Granger.

Falmouth is celebrating with multiple events, timed so that you could make a full day of celebrating Juneteenth.

One event preceding Juneteenth is the Arts Alive Festival Juneteenth Celebration, starting at 10:45 a.m. June 15 under the tent on the Falmouth Library lawn. There will be drumming, food and a proclamation read by state representative David T, Vieira, followed by music from the Juneteenth Celebration Chorus.

On June 19, from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., Highfield Hall & Gardens is offering a Juneteenth celebration with music, activities, trails in Beebe Woods and free admission to the mansion. The celebration will be held on the grounds at 56 Highfield Drive, Falmouth. Guests are invited to bring a nonperishable food item for the Falmouth Service Center.

Then, from 1 to 3 p.m. on June 19 Saint Barnabas’s Church hosts a Juneteenth Community Celebration in its great hall at 91 Main St. across from the Falmouth Village Green. All are welcome to a celebration that will include Juneteenth film clips, a panel discussion, soul food samples, music and kids’ activities. The event is free but there will be local vendors selling goods.

Rounding out the day, from 7 to 9 p.m., the Woods Hole Public Library will put on a free screening of “The Color Purple” in collaboration with the MBL Diversity and Inclusion Committee. The movie being shown is the 2023 version, based on Alice Walker’s award-winning book and taking inspiration from the stage play. The library is located at 581 Woods Hole Road.

The film screening will be followed by Juneteenth trivia and prizes. Practice round: What was the first state to issue a Juneteenth proclamation and when? Texas in 1980. When did Massachusetts issue its proclamation? 2020.

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