Newton Juneteenth Rally, March To Draw Hundreds

NEWTON, MA — Dozens are gathering now in Chestnut Hill near Boston College for a Juneteenth event called an "Infinity March" organized by Newton North students working with Newton North High School Center for Civic Engagement and Service, City Hall and Newton police.

"For decades we have marched," said organizer Daniela Divo in a statement. "We have marched for civil rights. We have marched for equality. Now we march for justice. We must be the generation to break the infinite chain of injustice and oppression in this nation. We do not want to inherit or perpetuate the painful legacy that terrorizes our families, friends, and communities."

Divo said the aim of the march is to combat ignorance through education.

"We want to empower our generation to create an environment of love, understanding and equality. We ask you and your families to join us on Juneteenth, which commemorates the end of slavery, to stand with us in this pivotal moment in history."

Juneteenth, the holiday that stretches back to 1865 when Galveston, Texas finally got official word of the Emancipation Proclamation, which had been issued more than two years earlier to end the enslavement of people, has taken on a new meaning this year.

The Newton youth-run rally comes in the wake of the death of George Floyd last week after a Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck for nearly 9 minutes in May. The death of Floyd sparked protests and rallies across the country, including several civil rights rallies across Boston that have brought out as many as 20,000 people.

Juneteenth is not a national holiday, but most states have officially recognized the day in some fashion. In 1980, Texas became the first state to designate Juneteenth as a holiday. There's also a campaign have it recognized as a national holiday. It's been passed in the House, but is still waiting for a vote in the Senate.

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The march comes as the city of Newton is grappling with budget concerns, possible layoffs among paraprofessionals and the recent resignation of the Newton police chief and demands from residents to defund the police department. A vocal group of some 300 is pushing the city to reroute much of the police budget into social services.

The chief earlier announced he was a departmental rethink amid pushback about a recent incident involving at least one officer who drew his gun at a tall black man, mistaking him for a Boston resident wanted for murder. The man, a Newton resident happened to be the former assistant athletic director at Northeastern and when he spoke about it publicly, it drew national attention.

The mayor said she would redirect $200,000 meant for new police cars to go toward an independent police departmental review. Later she announced the formation of a task force to rethink the department.

Read more: Juneteenth? 5 Things To Know About The Holiday

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Patch reporter Jenna Fisher can be reached at Jenna.Fisher@patch.com or by calling 617-942-0474. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram (@ReporterJenna).Have a press release you'd like posted on the Patch? Here's how to post a press release, a letter, event or opinion piece.