Andover Juneteenth Event To Celebrate Black Community

ANDOVER, MA — A recently-formed group, Merrimack Valley Black and Brown Voices and Allies, will host their second event since forming less than a month ago, Friday: a Juneteenth event in Andover, celebrating the Merrimack Valley Black community and commemorating the abolition of slavery in 1865.

As Black Lives Matter protests began to spread from Minneapolis after the death of George Floyd in police custody, three Black residents connected on Facebook with a desire to help the region's Black and brown residents connect and support each other. The three women, Bria Gadsden and Mayara Reis of North Andover and Elizabeth Walther-Grant of Andover, soon founded the group, to host events and be a resource for current and prospective residents of the Merrimack Valley, Gadsden said.

Their first event was a Black Lives Matter vigil in North Andover, which drew hundreds of attendees. On the heels of that success, they planned the Andover Juneteenth event, perhaps the first Juneteenth ever coordinated with the town — it's taking place on Doherty Field, with the help of the Cormier Youth Center.

The event is scheduled for 6 to 7:30 p.m.

Juneteenth marks the abolition of slavery in the United States. It commemorates June 19, 1865, when Union soldiers arrived in Galveston, Texas with federal orders proclaiming all slaves in Texas free.

"This news came TWO years after Lincoln had signed the Emancipation Proclamation," the event description notes. "The Emancipation Proclamation had little impact on Texans due to the limited Union forces in Texas who could enforce it."

Juneteenth was first celebrated in Galveston the following year, and today it is celebrated all over the country. In the weeks since the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody, multiple states and large companies have made Juneteenth a holiday.

"What Juneteenth represents to me is an opportunity to celebrate Black culture, to remember our foremothers and forefathers in history, and to continue their legacy through the advancement of education in the Black community, careers in the Black community, and civic engagement," Gadsden said. "We're also living in challenging times right now, mourning the Black lives lost to police brutality and racial injustice."

Gadsden said she hopes to "join together as we remember Black lives lost, and make the place where we live, work, play, and worship more equitable for Black people."

The event will feature speakers, a spoken word performance and an open mic where residents can express themselves however they choose. The group included an open mic in their vigil and found it worked well.

"I'm really looking forward to tomorrow," Gadsden said. "It's an opportunity for Black people in the community to have their voices heard."

The event is open to all residents.

"While this event is focused on uplifting Black people and Black culture, we encourage people of all races to join us," Gadsden said.

Gadsden said that the Andover Area Solidarity group has been a big supporter and ally of their new group, helping them organize their vigil. She also thanked the Cormier Youth Center for their support.

"We were surprised when an estimated 800 people showed up at our event. A lot of residents from the North Andover area, and others who live across the Merrimack Valley, of all ages and races and ethnicities," Gadsden said. "It reaffirmed our mission: We're here to connect people."

Gadsden said the Juneteenth event will be family-friendly and measures will be in place to prevent the spread of coronavirus, including social distancing and masks. Water and packaged snacks will be available, she said.

Christopher Huffaker can be reached at 412-265-8353 or chris.huffaker@patch.com.