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Mashpee Select Board vice chair proclaims June 14, 2026, Race Amity Day at Friendship Festival
Summary
At Mashpee’s Friendship Festival, Select Board Vice Chair Tracy Wilson read a proclamation declaring Sunday, June 14, 2026, Race Amity Day; speakers urged residents to use the day to build cross-cultural ties and the MIDC presented a leadership award to longtime chair J. Marie Stevenson.
Select Board Vice Chair Tracy Wilson formally read a proclamation at Mashpee’s Friendship Festival declaring Sunday, June 14, 2026, to be observed in the town as Race Amity Day, urging residents to meet one another and build relationships across differences. "Now therefore, as the select board of the town of Mashpee, I declare Sunday, June 14th, 2026 to be celebrated in the town of Mashpee as Race Amity Day," Wilson told the crowd.
The announcement was part of the sixth annual Friendship Festival organized by the Mashpee Inclusion and Diversity Committee. Richard Donovan, a committee member, gave historical context for Race Amity Day and encouraged attendees to join local groups — including the NAACP and regional racial-justice organizations — to take concrete steps toward equity. "Race unity is the principle of promoting ethical, respectful, and equal relationships between people of different racial and ethnic backgrounds," Donovan said, summarizing the day's purpose.
Dr. Sana Arus, the event's civic leadership award recipient, framed history as a tool for connection. "History, when you approach it honestly and with an open heart, has the power to connect us," Arus said, urging community members to learn fuller, more inclusive accounts of the past so that diverse stories become part of shared civic life.
Organizers also used the festival to honor long-serving MIDC chair J. Marie Stevenson with a distinguished service award; Stevenson said she will step back from some duties but remain involved with the festival committee. The event included vendor tables, nonprofit outreach, and performances that festival organizers said illustrate the town’s multicultural ties.
The proclamation and remarks were ceremonial actions tied to the festival; no formal board vote or new local policy was recorded during the event. Festival programming continued with music, dance demonstrations and community tables following the proclamation.
