North Shore Juneteenth Association outlines summer events in Lynn City

Nicole McClain, president and founder of the North Shore Juneteenth Association, told Lynn Lowdown host Seth Albaum that the group’s 10th annual Juneteenth events in Lynn City will include a June 16 flag raising at Lynn City Hall and a June 20 celebration on the Lynn Common with vendors, music and free food for early arrivals.

“the Juneteenth holiday commemorates the ending of enslavement of black Americans,” McClain said, recounting that the Emancipation Proclamation was signed in 1863 and that Union forces arrived in Texas in June 1865 to enforce emancipation. McClain said the Association’s first public flags and celebrations in Lynn began after the group formed in 2016, with the first public events staged in 2017; this year marks the organization’s 10th year.

McClain said the flag raising on June 16 at Lynn City Hall will include remarks from McClain, a poem by Michelle La Poetica, and a performance of the Black National Anthem by Janey Davis. The Association’s June 20 Juneteenth celebration on the Lynn Common will feature performers including Eva Davenport, Upper Room Entertainment (jazz/R&B), local gospel choirs and praise dancers from Zion Baptist Church, youth hip-hop dancers and ITM. The first 100 soul-food plates will be distributed free, McClain said, and additional food vendors will be on site after community feedback requesting more options.

The program will also host other summer events. McClain clarified that the group’s Paint Night takes place in February, and she announced that the annual Frederick Douglass reading — a Mass Humanities program — will be held July 3 in Central Square; Northeastern University scholar Gabrielle Baumgardner will lead a discussion after the reading and members of the public may sign up to read passages.

A workforce development fair is scheduled for July 23, McClain said, with partners listed on the event flyer including Root No Shore, North Shore Community College and Mass Hire. The fair aims to connect youth, veterans and the broader community with local employers and training resources.

The Association will present the Diversity Matters Festival at Red Rock Park on Aug. 15 from 2:00 to 6:00 p.m., featuring music, vendors, food and acrobatic performances; McClain said Circus Up will provide aerial acts. She also said the group plans an annual backpack giveaway but has not set a date; listeners were directed to nsjuneteenth.com and the Association’s social channels for updates and volunteer opportunities.

McClain noted Juneteenth is now observed nationally as a federal holiday under the Biden administration; during the interview she expressed uncertainty about the exact year of that designation. (For the record, Juneteenth was established as a federal holiday in 2021.)

“when you are speaking those words that Frederick Douglass wrote, you feel so much smarter and empowered,” McClain said of the reading event, encouraging community participation.

The Association’s announced calendar is intended to keep Juneteenth and related cultural observances visible on the North Shore and to expand access to arts, food and employment services in Lynn City. For event details and updates, McClain directed listeners to nsjuneteenth.com and the group’s Facebook and Instagram pages.

The interview closed with host Seth Albaum thanking McClain and planning member Wendy Joseph for appearing on Lynn Lowdown.