Last year, in the Yorkie fans Facebook group, I posted a photo of my dog, Marlowe, wearing a Juneteenth bandana to celebrate the holiday. Many people reacted favorably to the pic, but one guy commented, “Is this a dog group, or a group for politics and racism?”
I didn’t even have to respond, because other folks jumped on the man until he gave up and deleted the comment. But he’s hardly the only American who reacts that way to the mention of something that should not be viewed through a partisan lens. In fact, I know there are people in Cambridge who feel the same way. That’s why I’m happy to see the holiday so well embraced in our city.
Also known as Freedom Day, Jubilee Day, or Emancipation Day, Juneteenth is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the end of slavery. It specifically marks the date of June 19, 1865, when Union troops arrived in Galveston, Texas, to announce that the Civil War had ended and that all remaining enslaved people in the state were free. Congress passed legislation in 2021 to make the occasion a federal holiday.
For some people, Juneteenth is viewed simply as a historical commemoration and community celebration. For others, anything connected to race, history, or public acknowledgment of inequality gets filtered through today’s political divides. Despite that, Juneteenth observances in Cambridge seem to have become more community-centered than partisan.
It makes sense that these celebrations are taken so seriously here. The original Juneteenth didn’t happen on the Eastern Shore, but our history of slavery, segregation, Black watermen, and civil-rights activism is deeply tied to the spirit of the holiday. It’s all in our DNA, not in our politics.
Cambridge is hosting several events for Juneteenth (on the 20th because of the weekend), anchored by the Groove City Black Heritage & Cultural Group. One is the 5K Walk in Cornish Park at 9 a.m., followed by the Yock Cookoff and community celebration with vendors and music starting at 2 p.m. Following that festival, a march will head to Bethel AME Church on Pine Street for a Community Garden dedication at 6:00 p.m.
Good community holidays are not about forcing everyone to agree politically. They’re about creating shared moments where people recognize a common history, even if they see that history differently. So, let’s celebrate together.