Juneteenth festival set for Saturday in Worcester
Photo | Courtesy of the Black Heritage Juneteenth Festival
This year’s Black Heritage Juneteenth Festival is set to take place in Worcester on Saturday, marking the first year that Juneteenth is a recognized state holiday in Massachusetts.
The festival will take place virtually, but several in-person celebrations are planned, including a flag raising at City Hall at 11:45 a.m.
For generations, Juneteenth has been celebrated as an unofficial holiday, marking the end of slavery in America. The date specifically -- June 19, 1865 -- was the day enslaved people in Galveston, Texas were informed by Union troops of the Emancipation Proclamation, who would then enforce its tenets.
In the wake of George Floyd's murder by Minneapolis police last May, Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker on July 24 proclaimed Juneteenth to be an official holiday in the state.
The Worcester festival, according to the committee planning it, will center around the people and cultures of the African Diaspora. It will include music and dance performances, as well as children’s activities and food.
Specific details about the festival’s planned events are available online at blackheritagefestivalworcester.org.
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