Join Your Colleagues for a Juneteenth Meetup or Film Screening

Upcoming Meetups

For anyone interested in a Juneteenth public event meetup, the DEIA Team is coordinating two meetups at local events.

Saturday, June 15, 12:00 p.m.

Meet up with colleagues at the Juneteenth Jubilee event in Lowell. This event will include yard games for the family, a book reading by Chris Boucher, and an extensive outdoor exhibit featuring the history of Juneteenth, and associated informational displays.

Register to attend the Juneteenth Jubilee Lowell Meetup.

Wednesday, June 19, 12:00 p.m.

Meet up with colleagues at the Juneteenth Block Party in Brookline. This free public event will provide family-friendly fun, featuring music, food, activities, and more.

Register to attend the Juneteenth Brookline Block Party Meetup.

If joining the DEIA Team at one of the above meetups, please feel free to bring chairs or blankets to the event.

Juneteenth: Faith & Freedom Film Screening and Discussion 

Wednesday, June 26 from 10:00 to 11:30 

• Join us on for a screening of the film Juneteenth: Faith & Freedom at the Westborough office.  
• Juneteenth: Faith & Freedom is an unscripted documentary that invites viewers into the story of Juneteenth - the holiday recognizing the end of legalized slavery in Texas - through the eyes of Rasool Berry, a Black man learning about the holiday from the direct descendants of those liberated. A facilitated discussion will follow the film.  
• Register to attend on the Juneteenth: Faith & Freedom Film Screening.  

About Juneteenth 

On this Juneteenth Day of Observance, we commemorate America’s dedication to the cause of freedom.

On June 19, 1865, months after the Civil War ended and more than 2 years after our 16th President, Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation freeing enslaved people, Union troops arrived in Galveston, Texas, to free 250,000 people still held in bondage. The arrival of Major General Gordon Granger and his troops signaled that the Federal Government would not relent until the last enslaved people in America were free.

On this day, we celebrate and honor the tireless work of abolitionists who made it their mission to deliver the promise of America for all Americans. We recognize Juneteenth as a way to reconcile our past as we build a new American future together — advocates like former State Representative Al Edwards, who authored the bill that made Texas the first state to designate Juneteenth a holiday, and Ms. Opal Lee, known as the grandmother of Juneteenth, who joined our 46th President, Joseph Biden at the bill signing that finally made it a Federal holiday in 2021.

There are many ways to celebrate this important holiday. For example, support Black-owned businesses, visit an exhibit or museum dedicated to Black lives, and host or find an event in your neighborhood. Whatever you decide, just remember that all Americans can celebrate the progress, and recognize the work that continues in advancing equity and opportunity.

Communication developed by Chanda Wolf and Kristina England.