The current and former Juneteenth Queens lower the Juneteenth flag in the City Hall auditorium.
Reminder Publishing photo by Tyler Garnet
CHICOPEE — Due to the weather, elected officials and community members gathered inside the City Hall auditorium on June 18 to take part in a Juneteenth celebration and flag raising.
Mayor John Vieau talked about the importance of recognizing Juneteenth in the city.
He said, “I think it’s important that we do this ceremony because this Juneteenth flag raising is a really significant symbol of what this country’s all about and what we stand for.”
Ayanna Crawford, president of Kwanzaa Collective, was at the event to share the history of Juneteenth and stated, “We’ve been on a journey to bring cultural awareness to all communities around Western Massachusetts.”
Juneteenth, also known as Freedom Day or Emancipation Day, commemorates the end of slavery in the United States. It is celebrated on June 19, marking the day in 1865 when union soldiers arrived in Galveston, Texas, and announced the freedom of enslaved people, two years after the Emancipation Proclamation and they were the last to be informed of their freedom.
Crawford explained, “That is so significant that a small part, and it wasn’t a boarder city, a small part for two and a half years did not realize they were free. We understand because I’m a former educator that this country was built on capitalism, so they did not want those slaves to be free because it was free labor.”
Juneteenth has been recognized as a federal holiday since 2021 and Crawford said, “This day is powerful. A symbol of a long and enduring journey towards freedom, equality for African Americans.”
Although many businesses and schools may have off for the federal holiday, Superintendent Dr. Marcus Ware said, “I’d like to remind everyone that a time like this, we should pause a reflect [on June 19] when we have this federal holiday and remind ourselves why we should talk about it. We have a holiday because someone recognized the importance of our history and that goes along with all the other holidays, we have had flag raisings for.”
Ward 1 City Councilor Abigal Arriaga echoed similar sentiments to Ware and stated, “I just want to say, like I’ve said at so many holidays, it’s not just a day off. That we recognize why we have this holiday.”
Vieau read the proclamation to recognize Juneteenth in the city of Chicopee.
Part of the proclamation read, “The recognition of Juneteenth as a federal holiday reaffirms our shared responsibility to confront our past, celebrate our progress and strive toward a future rooted in equality, justice and inclusion. Juneteenth calls upon us to embrace our responsibility to help build a more, just united and compassionate society for generations to come.”
Former and current Juneteenth Queens were also at the event and helped present the Juneteenth flag in the auditorium to conclude the event.
