Members of Reedy Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church march to celebrate Juneteenth on June 19, 2021 in Galveston, Texas. Juneteenth marks the emancipation of enslaved African American people in the United States. (Go Nakamura/Getty Images)
In 2021, Maine made Juneteenth an official holiday, designating June 19 as a day of commemoration.
The holiday celebrates the end of slavery after the Civil War and was marked in the African American community long before President Joe Biden signed a bill declaring it a federal holiday in 2021.
Here are some events taking place around Maine this Juneteenth.
Bangor
In Bangor, there will be a virtual Juneteenth open mic on Wednesday from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. The forum will feature music, poetry, hip hop and jazz with the goal of supporting Black artists.
Ellsworth
For the fourth year, a Juneteenth Downeast Commemoration will be held in Ellsworth. The event will take place on Wednesday from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Knowlton Park. The theme of this year’s event is “shoulder to shoulder,” with a focus on highlighting the “common struggles among Black and Indigenous People in Maine” and will feature a lineup of Black and Indigenous musicians, poets, speakers, restaurants, artisans and museums.
Kittery
On Wednesday, participants will gather at 9 a.m. at the John Paul Jones Historic Site in Kittery and commemorate Juneteenth by walking nearly a mile to the African Burying Ground Memorial in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.
Lewiston
Lewiston will hold a Juneteenth festival on Wednesday from 1 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. The event will feature art, a parade, performances and a block party. Maine Inside Out is hosting the free event with the city of Lewiston and community partners and local artists. The opening ceremony will take place 31 Maple Street and the rest of the events will be at Kennedy Park.
Portland
Third Place, a statewide network connecting Black Mainers, will be having its 5th annual Juneteenth celebration at Fortland (0 House Island in Portland) on June 18 to 19. Activities will include camping, hiking, fishing, birdwatching, yoga as well as community conversations. Participation is capped at 80 people and the event is designed for communities of color.
The Victoria Mansion will also be holding a Juneteenth event on June 19 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. There will be free admission to the mansion and visitors are invited to the lawn at noon for a reciting of the Emancipation Proclamation, among other events.
At the Tate House Museum on Wednesday from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. participants can attend an “imagining freedom cyanotype workshop.” Attendees are encouraged, although not required, to come with “found objects, ephemera, or materials with personal significance.”
Several poetry-themed events will also take place in Portland. On Wednesday, Bates College Professor Ian-Khara Ellasante and Portland’s Poet Laureate Maya Williams will speak and then featured poet Nathan McClain will share his work at a reading in the great hall of the Portland Museum of Art from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. Then starting at 6 p.m. at the Maine Irish Heritage Center, Williams will moderate a poetry slam for poets 18 and younger to celebrate Juneteenth.
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