ATHOL – On June 17, 2021, President Joe Biden signed a bill declaring June 19 Juneteenth National Independence Day.

Juneteenth commemorates the end of slavery in the United States and is observed annually on June 19. In 1863, President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, which declared more than 3 million slaves living in the Confederate states to be free. More than two years would pass, however, before the news reached African Americans living in Texas. It was not until Union soldiers arrived in Galveston, Texas, on June 19, 1865, that the state’s residents finally learned that slavery had been abolished.

On Monday, Athol’s Congregational Church presented “Juneteenth: Exploring Freedom’s Stories,” a half-hour video detailing the events that led up to President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation. The video was followed by a lively discussion among those gathered, discussing the impact of the Civil War and the emancipation of the slaves on all Americans.

Following the observance of Juneteenth, three candles were lit. According to Dr. Rev. Candi Ashendon, the first is for the hopes and dreams lost because people were enslaved. The second candle is for the hopes and dreams made possible on Juneteenth in 1865. The final candle is for the hopes and dreams possible because people are gathered to celebrate, to remember and to pledge never to let it happen again.

“To really pledge to move forward from this point recognizing all people as equal, and the inherent value of all humanity,” said Ashendon.

In addition to the video and group discussion, a display highlighting profiles of prominent abolitionists was put together by ADN Columnist Carla Charter. She focused on African Americans who lived in the Athol area and surrounding communities. These included Rev. John Mars, a Methodist Pastor and abolitionist who lived in Athol, Violet Turner, a slave of who became a resident of Athol’s Poor Farm, Quock Walker of Barre, the first in Massachusetts to sue for his freedom, and Edom London of Winchendon, who served in the Battle of Bunker Hill as an escaped slave.

Assistant Pastor Rev. Cindy LaJoy explained the importance of Juneteenth being recognized and celebrated.

“I think it’s an acknowledgment that recognize how important this event is in the lives of African Americans, and that it impacts all of us, whether we are African American, or our ancestors were enslaved or not,” Lajoy said. “It has impacted the entire future of America, and it still does today as we continue to deal with racial issues that spring up continually in our jail systems, in education—all kinds of areas.

“Hopefully, it means there are people who will continue to fight for true equal rights across the board, because we like to pretend things are equal but they’re not yet. If it were, we would have an equal number of citizens of all races in prisons, and in higher education, and in business ownership. We would have more corporate leaders who are people of color – not just African Americans, but of all races.”

LaJoy added that it was heartening to see that people who weren’t directly impacted celebrate the freedom of people who should never have been enslaved in the first place.

“It’s acknowledgment of how wrong that was,” she said. “It’s helpful to know our ancestors were a part of that history, regardless of which side they were on. And it’s important to note that the next generations are thinking differently and that we are, hopefully, going to end up – you can’t go back and undo what happened – but we can certainly ensure it doesn’t happen in the future and make sure people are fully treated with dignity and respect.”

LaJoy said part of the motivation for Monday’s event was to add to people’s knowledge of American history, which she said can be limited. People, she said, may not have understood what Juneteenth is, so it was important to promote an understanding of why it was made a national holiday.

“I think that why we did it, in part, is because we were nudged by some in the community. But also, the reason we do anything is really because our faith motivates us,” Ashendon said. “Our faith in this church motivates us to believe that we are all one. That’s what it’s all about. It doesn’t have to be a faith holiday. Any holiday that celebrates who we are as people and encourages us to see the humanity in everyone is what we do and why we’re motivated to do any of these things.”

Greg Vine can be reached at gvineadn@gmail.com.

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