BLS B.L.A.C.K. (Black Leaders Aspiring for Change and Knowledge) is celebrating Juneteenth as a school community on Friday, June 9 at 2:30 PM in the back courtyard. The word “Juneteenth” is a combination of “June” and “nineteenth” in honor of the date the announcement was made that tens of thousands of African Americans in Texas had been emancipated; closing the door on one of the last chapters of slavery in the U.S.

It is also known as African American Freedom Day or Emancipation Day. This federal holiday is observed by celebrating African American culture. Originating in Galveston, Texas, it has been celebrated annually on June 19 in various parts of the United States since 1865. Juneteenth pays tribute to the barriers African Americans overcame and still must overcome to be recognized as human beings with full rights to citizenship.

We invite everyone to come and celebrate this day with us, no matter your identity. We will celebrate Juneteenth with games, music, and ice cream! The ice cream was made possible thanks to the generous donations from Emack and Bolios’s in Charleston and J.P. Licks in Roxbury. We are also asking everyone to wear something red, black, and/or green on Friday.