SALEM — Juneteenth celebrations will be held around the North Shore this month to honor the contributions of Black Americans and commemorate the end of slavery in the United States.
Salem will raise Juneteenth flags at Riley Plaza on Monday, June 15, at 1 p.m. in an event that will feature speakers and a performance of “Lift Every Voice.” The ceremony will be held in partnership with the North Shore Juneteenth Association.
Then on Friday, June 19, the city will kick off its third Juneteenth Jam Festival at 11:30 a.m. at Charlotte Forten Park on Derby Street.
A keynote address at the event will be delivered by a historical reenactor from History Alive who will be portraying Sarah Parker Remond, a 19th-century abolitionist, physician and lecturer who was born in Salem.
“This year we are honoring Sarah Parker Remond on the anniversary of her 200th birthday,” Mayor Dominick Pangallo said in a statement from the city. “She was a trailblazer and freedom fighter, with global impact, but roots here in Salem. We hope that by partnering with History Alive and bringing Sarah Parker Remond to our community, people will be able to learn more about her life and her legacy.”
Attendees will also be invited to participate in a reading and community discussion of Frederick Douglass’s speech “The Meaning of The Fourth Of July for the Negro,” led by Michael Corley.
Following these programs, there will be games, crafts, music, free food from Butter Ur Biscuit, free Salem 400+ bucket hats, red velvet ice cream from Holy Cow Ice Cream and a pop-up market featuring local Black-owned businesses and Black nonprofits and service organizations, according to the statement.
A free hour-long Black history tour of Salem run by Salem Historical Tours will start at 1:30 p.m. at Charlotte Forten Park, with sign-ups for a limited number of 40 spots beginning at 1 p.m. there.
The Real Pirate Museum will sponsor live music from Coco Brown and The Invitation, led by Nicole Harris, between 2:30-4 p.m.
In partnership with the Peabody Essex Museum, the festival will feature contemporary ballet performances by Jo-Mo-Mé Dance Arts. Admission to the museum is free that day.
The public is invited to participate in artist-led community circles at 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. inside the museum. An outdoor drum and dance performance by Black Experimental Arts Theater sponsored by the museum will take place at 4:30 p.m. at Armory Park.
To wrap up the festival, there will be an outdoor showing of the Disney Pixar movie “Soul” beginning at 8:30 p.m. on the Salem Common held in partnership with CinemaSalem. Free popcorn will be available.
Other communities will host flag raisings and festivals in partnership with the North Shore Juneteenth Association to honor the holiday:
Marblehead
Friday, June 12, 4-6 p.m., festival and flag raising at Abbot Hall, 188 Washington St.
Peabody
Monday, June 15, 10 a.m., flag raising ceremony at City Hall, 24 Lowell St.
Hamilton/Wenham
Monday, June 15, 6-7 p.m., flag raising ceremony at Wenham Town Hall, 138 Main St.
Danvers
Thursday, June 18, 3:30 p.m., flag raising ceremony at Town Hall, 1 Sylvan St.
Swampscott
Thursday, June 18, 1-4 p.m., flag raising and festival at Town Hall, 22 Monument Ave.
Beverly
Thursday, June 18, 5 p.m., flag raising ceremony at City Hall, 191 Cabot St.
For more information about Juneteenth on the North Shore, visit the North Shore Juneteenth Association’s website at https://north-shore-juneteenth-assoc.constantcontactsites.com/.
Contact Caroline Enos at CEnos@northofboston.com.