Celebrating Juneteenth

Enterprise Bank will observe Juneteenth by closing all branches and offices on Monday, June 20. Designated as a federal holiday in 2021, Juneteenth celebrates the end of slavery in the United States.

On January 1, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln issued the final Emancipation Proclamation, freeing Black men, women, and children who had been enslaved under constitutional law prior to the ratification of the 13^th Amendment. However, it wasn’t until over two years later–on June 19, 1865–that the enslaved people of Texas were finally notified by Union Civil War soldiers of the abolition of slavery.

Juneteenth is a holiday on which we reflect on America’s history and on the systemic racial injustice that still impacts our society today. It reminds us that the pursuits of freedom and racial equity have always been hard-fought and ongoing battles. The celebration of Juneteenth serves as a chance to unify around the need and desire to create a more equitable and just society. We join in acknowledging a greater understanding of our collective past and in committing to a continued learning of the struggles of Black Americans as we move forward with hope for a brighter future.

There are many ways to commemorate this important holiday:

• Learn the full history of Juneteenth. A combination of “June” and “Nineteenth,” it is also known as Freedom Day, Jubilee Day, Liberation Day, and Emancipation Day. Learn more about the history at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of African American History and Culture.
• Explore Boston’s Black Heritage Trail. A 1.6 mile walking tour that explores the history of Boston’s 19^th century African American community: Black Heritage Trail - Boston
• Support Black-owned businesses in our community. Here is one helpful resource to get you started: Black and Brown Owned Business Directory Merrimack Valley Black & Brown Voices (mvbbvoices.org).
• Support Black artists. Here are some in the Greater Lowell Community to get you started: Visualize Lowell’s Black History Art Trail – Visit Downtown Lowell (visitdtl.com).
• Read books, watch TV shows and movies, and find opportunities to discuss content written and created by Black authors and poets with the intention of gaining a broader perspective on Black history, ongoing contemporary issues, and culture. Here is a book about Black stories from Greater Lowell to get you started: Hidden in Plain Sight – Free Soil Arts Collective.
• Visit an African American museum or exhibit dedicated to Black culture, such as the nearby Black Heritage Trail of New Hampshire: Events Archive - Black Heritage Trail NH.
• Donate to organizations or charities committed to fighting for the Black community.

Explore the local organizations below for information about resources and events, including Juneteenth observances. If we have left out any Juneteenth events, please feel free to connect with us via email. We would love to grow this listing as a resource for all those interested in supporting local events:

• Lowell, Massachusetts Free Soil Arts Collective's 2nd Annual Juneteenth Celebration | Facebook
• New Hampshire Juneteenth Celebration 2022 - Black Heritage Trail NH
• Manchester, New Hampshire 2022 Juneteenth Block Party (facebook.com)

Wishing you all a reflective and meaningful Juneteenth.

"My humanity is bound up in yours, for we can only be human together."

–Archbishop Desmond Tutu