City of Cambridge Celebrates Juneteenth With Citywide Events

Juneteenth is a day to celebrate the end of slavery in the United States. This Juneteenth, the Mayor’s Office, City of Cambridge, Cambridge Public Library, Margaret Fuller House, The Arts Council, The Cambridge Families of Color Coalition, and a number of community organizations have come together to collaborate on a range of events, including a parade, Black business festival, yoga, storytime and more! This year’s theme will be centered around Black Joy and Black Excellence. 

In 1863, President Lincoln’s executive order, the Emancipation Proclamation, allowed all people to be free. However, not all enslaved people were actually free until June 19th, 1865, after the Civil War had ended and Union soldiers arrived in Texas.

Below are citywide events celebrating Juneteenth that are free and open to the public.  

Thursday, June 16 - Lyrics and Lunch on the Lawn with the Mystic Jammers Reggae Band

• 12:15-1:30 | 449 Broadway

• The Mystic Jammers reggae band is known nationally for its conscious reggae lyrics. The Mystic Jammers will perform at Joan Lorentz Park, in front of Cambridge Public Library, 449 Broadway as part of the Lyrics and Lunch on the Lawn series. 

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Saturday, June 18th - Juneteenth Celebration

Margaret Fuller House, Cambridge Community Development Department and the Arts Council are hosting the following:

• 12:00- 1:00pm | Yoga with Malaika | Green Rose Heritage Park - 155 Harvard Street

• 1:00- 2:00pm | Storytelling | Green Rose Heritage Park - 155 Harvard Street

• Story Telling Theme: Joy in a historic Black Church in Cambridgeport

• Black History in Action for Cambridgeport (BHAC) is a nonprofit devoted to the restoration, historical documentation, and revitalization of St. Augustine’s African Orthodox Church at 137 Allston Street. At this event, we share with you a historical photograph of Black joy found in the basement of the church. We share some of the stories of the photo with you, based on oral histories with members of the church community.

• 2:00- 5:00pm | Black Business Fair| Green Rose Heritage Park - 155 Harvard Street

• 4:00-9:00pm | Bring a bike, skates or a scooter | Hoyt Field

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The Cambridge Families of Color Coalition and Starlight and hosting the following:

• 1:00-3:00pm | Performance | Starlight - 84 Bishop Allen Drive

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The Cambridge Families of Color Coalition and Starlight will sponsor a parade:

• 9:00-12:00pm |City Hall

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Public Library events:

June 12th - June 18th Sidewalk Chalk Murals by the Comics in Color Collective

• Comics in Color Collective will be creating sidewalk chalk murals at the Main Library and all Branch locations throughout the week of June 12. Stop by to check them out!

Saturday, June 18, 12:00 – 2:00 p.m. : A Juneteenth Celebration for all ages

• 12:00 p.m. – Craft table

• 12:15 p.m. – Storyteller Valerie Stephens

• 1:00 p.m. – Sidewalk chalk drawing, cupcakes and Summer jam to the Afro-pop & Moz-Jazz sounds of the Albino Mbie Band

• Location: Central Square Branch Library Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr Plaza / Franklin St.

Juneteenth Story Time with Valerie Tutson

• Tuesday, June 21, 3:30 p.m. at O'Neill Branch

• Tuesday, June 21, 6:30 p.m. at Boudreau Branch

Story Times in Celebration of Juneteenth

• Tuesday, June 14, 4:00 p.m., Main Library Rey Room

• Thursday, June 16, 10:30 a.m., Central Square Branch

• Thursday, June 16, 3:30 p.m., O'Connell Branch

• Tuesday, June 21, 10:30 a.m., Collins Branch

• Tuesday, June 21, 4:00 p.m., Valente Branch

 The Cambridge Public Library has complemented these programs by creating booklists for children and teens and for adults.

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For more information about each of these events please view the Eventbrite. Additional events will be added as we learn about them. 

If you have any questions, please reach out to Ammarah Rehman at arehman@cambridgema.gov.