SWAMPSCOTT — The town partnered with Boston Bridges Initiative, a local nonprofit organization that aims to foster social change and connection in local communities, to host the “Juneteenth Jubilee: Let Freedom Ring” event Monday afternoon from 1-3 p.m. on the lawn outside Town Hall.
Swampscott Recreation Director Danielle Strauss said the event was also partially organized by the METCO program, which partnered with the town and Boston Bridges Initiative to bring the event to the community.
The event featured appearances from Lynn Poet Laureate Michelle “LaPoetica” Richardson, who delivered a heartfelt poem to a charged audience, and Janey David, who sang the Black National Anthem after the crowd had united to celebrate the occasion. There was also a tent pitched on the lawn where attendees could enjoy food and beverages, along with a flag-raising ceremony where the Juneteenth flag was raised to finish off the ceremony.
“It’s not just June 19, but it’s a way for us to celebrate so much that’s happened, and the freedom that our people had to fight for,” METCO Co-Director Temi Bailey said.
Kashawn Little, a licensed social worker and a member of the Northshore Juneteenth Association, explained his thoughts on the historic moment.
“The importance of Juneteenth is that it’s a reminder of the work ahead… What happens when we fall asleep, when we don’t show up and vote — it was a warning that if we don’t show up when it’s necessary, it’s going to repeat what happened when President Lincoln was killed and Reconstruction was destroyed,” Little said. “There was a compromise in 1876 that led to the era of Jim Crow and white supremacy… And now, we’re in an era where we’re being reminded of how much we take our rights for granted.”
Richardson, who has taken part in Juneteenth events for several years, spoke about the significance of Juneteenth.
“The power of the spoken word is able to move people without laying a hand on them… And right now, we’re living in some dark days,” Richardson said. “Part of the reason we do this is to keep people reminded of the importance of working together, the accuracy of information that’s dispelled, and a lot of what Juneteenth is about is that we were freed for a long time before we found out.”
Richardson continued, “It’s not about seeing it as a color thing, it’s rich against poor, evil versus good, hate versus love… And if we get together and unite, through love for everybody, that should go out with a bang, not with a struggle.”
Janey David, the featured singer for the event, who sang the Black National Anthem, expressed that it’s important to spread the word of the cause.
“It’s really important to be here today because it’s good for people to see what we’re doing… I think when we show up for each other, I think that’s the most important thing,” David said. “We’re here for Black Americans, but it’s not just about us — we’re recognizing something that we’re struggling with… And, it’s like, ‘You help me with my struggle, and I’ll help you with yours.’”
State Rep. Jenny Armini was also in attendance for the event, where she reiterated how it’s crucial for the community to come together in celebration and remembrance.
“I think it’s always important to celebrate Juneteenth, because the history of it reminds us of the injustice and humanity that we, ideally, will never face again… But, I think we’re all seeing injustice and inhumanity resurface now, and events like this are great reminders,” Armini said. “They’re inspiring, and they tell us that we need to carry on with the same perseverance, hope and joy that all those Texans in 1865 did when they finally got word they were free… It’s a really inspiring story that we all need right now.”
School Resource Officer of the Swampscott Police, Kevin Reen, said that events and moments like these are “just more enjoyable reasons to work and live in this community.”
“I just think that it’s great to recognize the entire community,” Reen said. “Focusing on a holiday like this, we’re showing that everyone in Swampscott is inclusive and open — as well as continuing their ability to learn and understand all of the holidays that we have in this country, and we’re so grateful for that.”
After Bailey read the background of the holiday to the crowd, Strauss welcomed Richardson up to the mic, where she relayed a powerful message of strength, resilience and a call to action.
“I wish more people would take off that comfortable mask called ‘patriotism,’ and realize that, like it or not, we are all a product of the infamous melting pot,” Richardson said. “That brews the American Dream to a dim flame, cut by those who seek to destroy us, right before it comes to a boil, thus — never allowing it to cook properly.”
Richardson continued, “And then they have the nerve to tell me where my allegiance should lie? And I’m not going to cry, rant or rave — I find some kind of acceptance in being an indentured slave, living from paycheck to paycheck, never being able to call anything mine… And at the end of the day, no matter how hard I work or try, Uncle Sam is the only eating the ‘piece of the American pie’, and it’s dream filling.
“Tell me how fitting it is that America finds the ways and means to feed the world, while the ones that live here are left to die homeless and penniless because of the budget cuts… We’re known to feed the bellies of monsters before the uprising, and then, we give them a ticket to fly the plane that swoops down to blow up the hand that feeds them.”
