Juneteenth Event Brings Walpole, Norwood, Dedham and Medfield Together

The following is a press release from Be Inclusive. Any opinions expressed are those of its author.

WALPOLE, MA - A Walpole nonprofit with the mission of creating inclusive communities partnered with groups in three surrounding towns to coordinate Walpole's third annual Juneteenth celebration this Sunday.

The event, with the theme of “Freedom to Be," will be held on the Walpole Town Common from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. and will feature a range of youth activities, music, dance and poetry that will highlight Black people, culture and history.

Be Inclusive, founded by Walpole resident Shantae Holmes, has coordinated the multi-town celebration since its inception. What began three years ago as a town event has blossomed to include participation from organizations in Dedham, Norwood and Medfield.

"Juneteenth - also known as Jubilee Day, Liberation Day and Freedom Day - celebrates the emancipation of the last enslaved people in the United States," said Holmes in a statement. "As a part of a cross-town endeavor, community groups from Walpole, Dedham, Medfield and Norwood are collaborating on this historically significant day to celebrate Black people, history and culture."

This day is an opportunity to educate the community about Black history and have the community come together to enjoy performances from singers, dancers and spoken word artists, Holmes noted.

"The annual event is a platform to highlight local Black leaders and Black-owned businesses," she continued. "Kids’ activities and local food trucks will be a part of the festive, family-friendly celebration."

Funds raised at the event will be reinvested in Be Inclusive, formerly known as the Multicultural Books Initiative, dedicated to lifting the voices of historically underrepresented and marginalized communities.

“I shared in the amazing event that was Walpole’s multi-town 2021 Juneteenth celebration and have never been more proud to be part of a collaborative process," according to Tracey K. Franklin, c0-founder of the Dedham Coalition for Equity and Inclusion "Be Inclusive is - as it should be - an essential part of the community and I look forward to watching it grow!”

The theme of the 2022 Juneteenth event is “Freedom to Be.”

Partners for this event are" Be Inclusive, Action Together Walpole, Dedham Coalition for Equity and Inclusion, Medfield Together and Progress Norwood.

Performers include:

Donald Ricketts (poetry)

Courtney Sanders (author)

Willian Nyende (musician)

Favor Nyende (singer)

Nola Hood (singer)

Jayden Sanchez-Connally (pianist)

Chefi Tokou (African dance instructor)

Kurt Jackson (storyteller)

For more information about this event, visit this link or Be Inclusive's website.

Donations are accepted online at https://tinyurl.com/4c9dje27 or by check sent by mail, addressed to Be Inclusive, C/O NOPI, 83 Morse St., Suite 6, Norwood, MA 02062.

About Be Inclusive

Be Inclusive is a Black woman-led organization that works to create inclusive communities by lifting the voices of historically underrepresented and marginalized community members while recognizing diverse cultures and intersectional experiences. The organization supports healthy racial identity development and ongoing anti-racist learning through education, community events, programming and resources.

Be Inclusive aims to support all community members by creating a more welcoming, safe and inclusive community. Programs include community cultural events and the delivery and increased visibility of multicultural books in schools and libraries.

Be Inclusive and the services it provides (The Multicultural Books Initiative and Inclusive Community Events) are projects fiscally sponsored by NOPI - Nonprofit Incubator, a program of NOPI INC, a Massachusetts nonprofit corporation and 501(c)(3) organization.

For more information, email info@beinclusivema.org.