Juneteenth Kicks Off In Natick With Frederick Douglass Reading

NATICK, MA — Juneteenth observances in Natick kick off with the annual Frederick Douglass reading which, due to heat, has been moved to the Common Street Spiritual Center, 13 Common St., in Natick Center.

Then, the First Congregational Church will host a Juneteenth celebration from 1 to 4 p.m. The event includes performances, food and more.

The Wednesday, June 19, federal holiday commemorates the day in 1865, more than two years after President Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation, when word finally reached the last enslaved people in Texas that the Civil War had ended, and they were free.

Also known as Emancipation Day, Freedom Day and Jubilee Day, Juneteenth is the oldest-known celebration of the end of slavery in the United States. In 2021, President Joe Biden signed legislation making it a federal holiday, the first since the addition of Martin Luther King Jr. Day in 1983.

Because Juneteenth is an official U.S. holiday, banks, federal offices and post offices in Natick will be closed Wednesday. Many state, county and local government offices will be closed as well.

• Read more: Juneteenth 2024 In Massachusetts: What's Opened, Closed?
• Related: When Is Juneteenth? What To Know About Holiday Marking Slavery’s End