The community gathered together on Friday on the lawn of Abbot Hall for Marblehead’s fourth annual Juneteenth flag raising and ceremony.
Marblehead High School student, Damilola Graciella Olabisi, started off the ceremony by reciting a poem that she has been perfecting since the sixth grade, titled “You and Me.”
“The difference between you and me is that you’re the only one who’s free in the so-called Land of the Free. The difference between you and me is that when you use my vernacular, it’s cool, but when I use it, it’s ghetto. The difference between you and me is your snowy skin is the standard, yet my melanated skin is inaccurate,” she read.
The following speaker, Co-Chair of the Marblehead Task Force Against Discrimination, Helaine Hazlett, mentioned that she would like to look into the steps to help Olabisi get her poem published because it was so moving.
“I have to tell you, it must be published, the task force will help you out,” she said.
Kashawn Little was one of the featured speakers at the ceremony. He is a business owner, social worker, football coach, and a “neighbor to Marblehead.”
Little referenced the current political climate and stated, “Last Juneteenth, I warned that if we did not take the 2024 election seriously, we would repeat the mistakes of 1876, and now here we are. The 2024 election results have opened the doors for attacks on civil rights, women’s rights, voting rights, and immigration rights. We are watching the undoing of the very protections fought for during the Civil Rights Movement. It’s Deja Vu.”
He said that although celebrations such as the Juneteenth flag raising are important, “Black excellence isn’t just about celebration. It’s about showing up, speaking out, and staying in the fight.”
He ended his speech by saying “I stand here before you, not with hatred, but with hope, hope that by naming truth, we can build trust, hope that this town, now home to many families of color and immigrants, can grow into a place of safety and dignity for all residents.”
Poet Laureate of Lynn, Michelle “La Poetica” Richardson, read a poem that brought some attendees to tears during the ceremony.
She told the audience to take note that there “was not a lot of melanin in the crowd,” but “ I want you to acknowledge the love that exists in you for being in this moment, young, old, melanated or not, it’s important that we acknowledge each other, because it’s necessary for us to come together.”
She said she can guarantee that “this war that is upon us right now can only be won with love.
“You are proof positive, and you have within you the license, autonomy, and authority to shut it down,” Richardson said.
She ended her poem by thanking the crowd for the love and support at the Juneteenth ceremony.
“Thank you for the love that brought you here. Thank you for the love that keeps you interested in moments like this, that gets you to show up to moments like this, because we need you now,” she said.
Rising senior at Marblehead High School, Bubacarr Jallow, shared a reflection on justice in the United States.
“Our justice means my future isn’t decided by my zip code, my skin color, or my background. Our justice sounds like real equality and not empty promises,” he said
Martina Campbell, who is an educator in Lynn, sang the Black National Anthem.
Police Chief Dennis King and resident Alfred Doherty raised the Juneteenth flag at the end of the ceremony.
The Marblehead Task Force Against Discrimination and the Marblehead Museum sponsored the event in partnership with the North Shore Juneteenth Association.
Juneteenth, now recognized as a federal holiday, commemorates the emancipation of the last enslaved African Americans in the United States in 1865.
Organizers encourage residents of all ages to attend, reflect, and stand together in the spirit of unity, education, and progress.
Organizer of the event and Emcee Candice Sliney said, “On behalf of the Marblehead task force against discrimination and Marblehead Museum, North Shore Juneteenth Association, and everyone else that made this possible. Thank you so much.”
