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The Weekender: Boston's Saturday Morning Newsletter
7 Juneteenth events happening around Boston this week
Editor's Note: This is an excerpt from WBUR's Saturday morning newsletter, The Weekender. If you like what you read and want it in your inbox, sign up here.
Let’s begin with a brief history lesson on the U.S.’s newest federal holiday: Juneteenth.
Coming up this Wednesday, June 19, Juneteenth — also called Freedom Day and Emancipation Day — marks the day in 1865 that slavery fell in Galveston, Texas. Galveston was one of the last places where people were still enslaved after Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation in 1863. Though it does not mark the official end of slavery in America, “the symbolism of Juneteenth is the transition from slavery to freedom,” Leslie Wilson, professor of history at Montclair State University in New Jersey, told NPR.
Boston will be bustling this weekend and next week with events honoring one of the most significant days in Black American history. Here are a few you won’t want to miss.
Juneteenth Celebration at Franklin Park | Sat. June 15
Boston’s Black community has celebrated Juneteenth at Franklin Park for decades with cookouts, music and games. Saturday’s event, organized by the Boston Branch of the NAACP, will take place from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the park’s Shattuck Picnic Grove. BYO picnic gear (or a grill, for you barbecue masters out there) and show up for a day of unity, joy and summer fun.
Juneteenth Gathering at Longfellow House | Sun. June 16
Interested in learning more about the history of Black activism in Massachusetts? Then you’ll want to visit the Longfellow House historic site in Cambridge this Sunday for their annual Juneteenth Gathering, from 12:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. There will be music, poetry and speeches that focus on the lives of people who endured slavery, including those enslaved at the Longfellow House 250 years ago. There will also be a Juneteenth StoryWalk and other family activities to help little ones understand this complex slice of American history.
Juneteenth Block Party in Brookline | Wed. June 19
Brookline For the Culture, a social organization led by members of Brookline’s Black community, will be hosting a Juneteenth Block Party at the Florida Ruffin Ridley School on Wednesday from noon to 4 p.m. There will be free Caribbean and soul food, music, ice cream, art activities, games, face painting, bounce houses and more. And in case that gets a bit overwhelming, they’ll also have cool-down stations set up, too. (It’s looking like it’s going to be a hot one next week, so don’t forget a hat, sunscreen and some water.)
Historically Black Phrases Live! | Wed. June 19
Join us at WBUR’s CitySpace for “Historically Black Phrases Live!” Hosted by The Emancipator, HBP Live! is a touring game show (based on the book of the same name) where three contestants, each a unique leader in Boston’s Black community, compete to answer trivia questions based on Black culture. Audience members have a chance to win prizes, too. You can get tickets here.
Bonus: A handful of Boston’s museums are offering free admission to visitors on Wednesday. Here are details on each of the museums’ Juneteenth programming.
- The Museum of Fine Arts Boston is hosting a series of free Juneteenth events in the museum’s Shapiro Family Courtyard from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. First up is a performance of Black spirituals by the The Boston City Singers, with the Boston Latin School Step Team will stomping it out on the stage shortly after. Then, OrigiNation, a dance group, will perform an innovative blend of hip-hop and contemporary choreography. There will also be face painting, free guided tours and art workshops inside the museum. (Admission is free only for Massachusetts residents.)
- The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum will offer a slate of programming focused on Black life and Black queer experiences from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Visit for a screening of “BLACK. Narratives in Boston Black Queer and Trans History,” followed by a Q&A with the film’s director, Amir Dixon. There will also be community quilt making activity and relaxing soundscape to take in.
- You can also check out the Institute of Contemporary Art for free from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., with live musical performances from jazz musicians Anabel Gil Diaz and Samuel Batista.
P.S. — The MBTA should be running as normal on Wednesday (fingers crossed), but if you’re wondering what else will be open or closed on Juneteenth, we’ve got a handy guide for you here.
