JUNETEENTH OBSERVANCE & FLAG RAISING CEREMONY TO TAKE PLACE
1:00 PM on Wednesday, June 19, 2024 at the John F. Kennedy Hyannis Museum, 397 Main Street, Hyannis MA
Please join us for an observance and flag-raising ceremony honoring the Juneteenth holiday. The event will take place on Wednesday, June 19, 2024, from 1:00-1:30 PM in the outside courtyard of the John F. Kennedy Hyannis Museum at 397 Main Street, Hyannis.
Join the Town of Barnstable, legislative and community leaders, as well as members of the Cape Cod Branch NAACP and Amplify POC, Inc. and the John F. Kennedy Hyannis Museum in commemorating this vital part of American history and celebrating the progress towards equality.
This special occasion will provide an opportunity to learn about the history and significance of Juneteenth, including the contributions of black Civil War heroes and heroines with ties to Massachusetts and Cape Cod. Barnstable resident Jeanne Morrison will narrate the event, during which community leaders and elected officials will read excerpts from the Emancipation Proclamation and the Massachusetts annual proclamation reaffirming the state holiday. These readings commemorate the end of slavery in the United States and restate the continued need to ensure racial equality. The speaking program will conclude with the raising of the Juneteenth flag.
A special thanks to Jeanne Morrison and her family for organizing this thoughtful and locally significant observance. Her brothers, Barnstable Police Officer Brian Morrison and retired Dennis-Yarmouth Regional High School Principal Tony Morrison, who are Iraq and Gulf War veterans, will conduct the flag-raising. Appreciation is also extended to the John F. Kennedy Hyannis Museum for hosting the event.
Juneteenth, originally recognized by Texas as a state holiday in 1980, is now acknowledged by all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker signed Juneteenth into law as a state holiday on July 24, 2020. The holiday is a crucial reminder of the importance of racial equality and freedom.
Contact: Amy Harwood, Marketing & Outreach Manager 508-862-4638, Amy.Harwood@town.barnstable.ma.us
