Dozens Gather For Stoughton Juneteenth Rally

STOUGHTON, MA — Around 50 people gathered at Halloran Park for a Juneteenth rally focused on remembering Black history and using education to mitigate systemic racism.

The event incorporated elements of protests seen across the country following the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and Rayshard Brooks. People joined together to protest racism and police brutality with a march to Faxton Park followed by a group of speakers from the Stoughton Diversity and Inclusion Organization.

The speakers used history to remind people of the importance of Juneteenth and the "Black Lives Matter" movement.

Juneteenth, observed every year on June 19, marks the day in 1865 when Union soldiers landed in Galveston, Texas, to announce that the Civil War had ended.

Texas was the last state the Union Army reached, and so the 1865 declaration was seen as the real date slaves were freed, according to the National Juneteenth Observance Foundation. The day is now recognized as a holiday or day of observance in 45 states. Massachusetts officially began recognizing the holiday in 2007.

For Stoughton resident Joshua Williams, the holiday became very important for him as a biracial American.

"I grew up in a mixed family," Williams told Patch. "I've had a mixed identity in terms of not fitting in. Days like this help me have an identity and come together with people."

Erdem Ural, who immigrated to the U.S. from Turkey in 1976, told Patch seeing people come together for Juneteenth was a great reminder of why he loves Stoughton.

"I love Stoughton because people care about each other and important issues," Ural said. "I want everyone to be welcome regardless of religion, sex or the color of your skin."

But the evening wasn't just about Juneteenth. Speakers started there, but made their way through moments of United States history as a reminder of the relevance of the "Black Lives Matter" movement today."

Selectwoman Debra Roberts, the chair of the Stoughton Diversity and Inclusion Organization, told Patch going through that timeline of systemic racism is a crucial educational tool.

"It's important to go through a timeline so people can see from the Emanicpation Proclamation to today why we are upset," Roberts said.

That timeline included key events like the Jim Crow era, the Tulsa, Oklahoma massacre and the work of Civil Rights activists like Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, and police brutality victim Rodney King.

"Jim Crow was so effective that we went from having 13 Black congressman in 1873 to 1877 to just five over the next 10 years," said speaker and Stoughton High School alumnus Amarri Harrison said.

Roberts referred to Tulsa, Oklahoma as "Black Wall Street" prior to the 1921 massacre that killed 300 African Americans and left tens of thousands more homeless.

"This was one of the worst acts of racial violence in American history," Roberts said.

Speaker Max Whiting, citing the protests in Los Angeles after the beating of Rodney King, said the protests have become exhausting over the years, but the efforts for equality must persist.

"I'm really tired of marching, but with this organization and what we're doing, we must continue," Whiting said. "June 19 is a great day to continue the effort. We must march on."

A multiracial and multigenerational crowd in solidarity was in agreement. After every speaker the crowd chanted,"And this is why we must remember because Black lives matter."

Roberts said she hopes rallies like this serve as places for education and that more people become involved in the Diversity and Inclusion Organization, a group she said is nonpartisan. She said the group is open to everyone.

"We don't just focus on Black America but all of America, gay rights, disability rights, mental illness rights," she said. "It's the ripple effect, and then we move outward and continue the movement on education."