Commemorate Juneteenth, the national holiday marking the end of slavery in the United States!
The Town of Barnstable, Amplify POC, the John F. Kennedy Hyannis Museum, the Cape Cod Branch of the NAACP, and the People of Action are proud to invite the public to a Juneteenth Celebration and flag-raising ceremony on Thursday, June 19, 2025 from 12:00 PM to 1:30 PM in the outdoor courtyard at the JFK Hyannis Museum, located at 397 Main Street, Hyannis.
This special event will commemorate Juneteenth, the national holiday marking the end of slavery in the United States, with a reenactment of June 19, 1865, in Texas, a presentation on the history of the Emancipation Proclamation, and readings from the Proclamation and General Order No. 3.
Local community leaders – including Jeanne Morrison and Tara Vargas-Wallace, who will narrate the ceremony – will honor the contributions of Black Civil War heroes and heroines with ties to Massachusetts and Cape Cod. Remarks will underscore Juneteenth’s historical significance while reaffirming our collective commitment to justice, equality, and unity.
Flag bearers for the Juneteenth flag-raising include Barnstable Police Officer Brian Morrison, retired Dennis-Yarmouth Regional High School Principal Tony Morrison, and veterans’ counselor Mike McGee – all local veterans who served in Iraq, the Gulf War, and Afghanistan.
Immediately following the ceremony, attendees are invited inside the JFK Hyannis Museum for a special presentation by renowned Cape Cod artist Robin Joyce Miller’s “A Sankofa Journey: the African in America – Part One”, from her Three-Part Series. The art exhibit is on display at the Museum through the end of June.
This commemorative event is a collaboration among the Town of Barnstable, Amplify POC, the John F. Kennedy Hyannis Museum, the Cape Cod Branch of the NAACP, and People of Action. It aims to educate, inspire, and bring our community together in celebration of freedom and the ongoing pursuit of equality.
In case of rain, these activities will take place inside the JFK Hyannis Museum.