Over 50 people attended Lynnfield’s Juneteenth Flag Raising Ceremony on Monday, hosted by both Lynnfield For Love and North Shore Juneteenth Association.
Attendees gathered at Lynnfield Middle School for the Opal Lee Walk, as a tribute to the “Grandmother of Juneteenth.” The walk traveled from the middle school to the Town Common for the flag raising ceremony.
Lynnfield for Love President Darlene Kumar and North Shore Juneteenth Association Founder and President Nicole McClain hosted the event.
Kumar invited attendees to explore the Juneteenth Storyboard Walk, which honored Opal Lee and provided information about the Juneteenth holiday.
In her speech, McClain said, “Today, as we gather to honor and reflect upon the historical significance of Juneteenth, we do so with deep recognition of both the progress we have made and the challenges that persist in our journey toward racial equality.
“This day, which we mark as Juneteenth, isn’t just a celebration of freedom,” she added.
McCalin said Juneteenth is a “poignant reminder of the resilience and undying hope” of Black Americans.
Recognizing June 19th, 1865 “reminds us that freedom and equality have never come easily to the Black American community,” McClain said. “It is and has been a struggle painted across the vast canvas of our history, marked with the sweat and tears of those who fought tirelessly so that we could stand here today. As we commemorate this milestone, let us not forget the deep valleys our forebears had to traverse. From the shadows of slavery to the trials of the civil rights movement, each step forward was met with resistance. Yet, with each challenge, there were victories. And with each victory, our nation moved closer to its foundational promise that all are created equal in the aftermath of the Civil War.”
She urged the community to “remain vigilant to maintain the progress of the Civil Rights Movement.”
“Our journey is far from over, but together we can achieve the dreams deferred but never forgotten by our ancestors,” McClain added.
Medford Poet Laureate, Terry E. Carter then read his poem titled “Juneteenth Journey” as part of the ceremony.
The Lynn English ROTC then raised the Juneteenth flag as Lynn resident Janey David sang the Black National Anthem.
This song is a “story of the ups and downs of slavery, the things that people — real people — experienced all throughout this nation,” David said. “A lot of times people only sing the first part … but I’ve learned to sing the full song and I appreciate being able to sing the whole song because I think that people need to know the harder parts of what happened.”
She said, “Even if you haven’t experienced something like this personally, I feel it’s very important to have empathy.”
State Sen. Brendan Crighton read the proclamation from the town of Lynnfield and thanked the organizers of the event to conclude the event.
“I just want to thank everybody for coming and it’s just humbling every time I hear the Black National Anthem and see the flag raised,” McClain said.
