On June 20, 2026, Holliston celebrated Juneteenth National Independence Day at Blair Square. Juneteenth commemorates June 19, 1865, the date when Union troops arrived in Galveston, Texas, to enforce the Emancipation Proclamation and officially end American slavery. The master of ceremonies, jamele adams, commented on how not many towns hang the Juneteenth flag as well as the Pride flag, as he nodded to our Blair Square flagpole. adams is a poet and a spoken word performance artist, known for his high energy and his presence infused the event with a palpable uplifting spirit that will undoubtedly linger in the hearts of those who attended.

The event was the brainchild of Holliston Public Library Director Jeff Smith, who received a grant for the reading of Frederick Douglass’s famous speech, “What To The Slave Is The Fourth of July?” Smith collaborated with Diverse Holliston and the Holliston Historical Society to bring his vision to life. Although this is the first Juneteenth event at Blair Square, Diverse Holliston did host a Juneteenth event in 2020 following the murder of George Floyd in May of that year.

Holliston’s 2026 Juneteenth was bookended by performances from the Diverse Holliston choir, Voices of Change, whose Juneteenth repertoire included, among others, such works as “Crowded Table” by the Highwomen and “This Little Light of Mine,” a traditional African-American spiritual that became a resistance anthem during the Civil Rights movement in the 1960’s. The choir learned and performed the hymn “By the Waters of Babylon,” a direct reference to Psalm 137 from the Torah or Hebrew Bible. The Psalm captures the sorrow, displacement, and deep yearning of the ancient Jewish people, who wept by the rivers of Babylon following the Babylonian conquest of their homeland of Jerusalem in 586 BC. Douglass references this Psalm in his speech when he identifies the plight of the American slave, one of exile, loss, and resilience in a hostile or unfamiliar land, as being similar to that of the Hebrew people. 

Twenty-three readers, spanning many ages, races, and backgrounds, brought life to Douglass’s words. Especially captivating were the children who spoke, including nine-year-old Richard Henry DelVecchio, who, after using a makeshift stepladder to reach the podium, wowed the audience with his energetic and soulful delivery. Ten-year-old Hailey Worby showed resilience and humility but didn’t skip a beat when the stepladder buckled under her during her reading. Ten-year-old Abhi Gogineni, thirteen-year-old Olivia Colleli, thirteen-year-old Alex Phair, and fifteen-year-old Owen Bresnehan were also among the kids who read sections of the Douglass speech.

At the conclusion of the reading, thirteen-year-old Elisha Worby shared two quotes, “Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed unless it is faced,“ by James Baldwin and “It’s freedom for everybody or freedom for nobody,” by Malcom X. Ten-year-old Magic Adams, Jamele Adams’ young daughter, read an original piece, entitled “The Importance of Freedom.”

Adams concluded the event by acknowledging the necessity of Douglas’s words in the present moment, how we are all here in this moment at this very time for a reason, and how the children today are meant to be here to create the future the world needs. Adams reminded us of our collective energy and love and asked each of us to turn to our neighbor, and say “I got you.” The passion and hope was undeniable. He reminded us that we are community and family, one in the same, and asked everyone to take selfies together, so he could create one giant photo album as a memento for all. Finally, Adams handed out bracelets for everyone as a token of the bond and promises of community we made to one another. For the attendees, readers, and vocalists alike, Holliston’s 2026 Juneteenth celebration will undoubtedly be remembered as a peaceful, uplifting, and hopeful morning. 

If you are interested in hearing about more local events like the Juneteenth Celebration, please subscribe to the Diverse Holliston newsletter by emailing [email protected] or visit diverseholliston.org. To join the Diverse Holliston choir, go to diversehollistonchoir.org.