New Hampshire Juneteenth Celebration
For All People of All Ages
Hosted by the Racial Justice Mission Group of the
NH Conference, United Church of Christ
Contact: PastorKate@CCAmherst.Org
Our Mission in Celebrating Juneteenth in New Hampshire – is based upon our desire for
greater visibility, education and alliance in a state and geographic region that is historicallyperceived as demographically white. This misperception is perpetuated through the mainstream and local media; socially, culturally and politically governed institutions; and lack of cultural awareness manifested in expressions of implicit bias. On Wednesday, June 19, 2019, Governor Chris Sununu signed a bill proclaiming an annual observance Juneteenth as an officially recognized state holiday. This act ended many decades of oversight.
Juneteenth Commemorates the End of Slavery and the Beginning of a Journey into Freedom –It recalls how the states of Louisiana and Texas heard that President Abraham Lincoln had signed the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863. Slavery continued in those two states for more than two years after the proclamation was signed due to active resistance.News of Emancipation had not been fully shared until Ju ne 19, 1865. Hence this is the origin of the Juneteenth holiday which is still celebrated in many communities of African American descent. Americans, this is our collective history and a narrative that deserves to be shared. Remember that in NH, slaves were not legally freed until the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, though many NH people fought on the side of the Union. NH was not a free state.
The truth is that people of African heritage have always been part of New Hampshire history. The narrative of enslaved African people and their descendants is far too often untold and denied. We appreciate the ongoing efforts of our allies to preserve these stories. We embrace Juneteenth as an opportunity to request that EVERYONE participate and join us in celebration for the whole month of June. Follow our Facebook page
https://www.facebook.com/Celebrate Juneteenth.
Here are some inspirational
Juneteenth themed categories: that will be shared on our Facebook page:
• African-American storytelling
• Arts - Music, Dance, Visual Art, Poetry, History
• Cultural Experiences
• Examples of Traditional Cooking and Recipes
• Educational Journeys
• Faith Journeys
• Tales of justice
• Words of Wisdom and Messages of Inspiration.
We will continue our Facebook page beyond the month of June as an ongoing asset for education.
Who We Are – The Racial Justice Mission Group of New Hampshire Conference, United Church of Christ is an inclusive and diverse group of learners, interrupters, and allies awakening to matters of racial justice. Our goal is to dismantle systems of white supremacy and systematic oppression.
