AMHERST – Amherst’s Juneteenth Jubilee at the Town Common on June 19 was an all-day celebration with discussion, food, music, magic and more to commemorate the emancipation of enslaved people in the U.S. and bring attention to the need for action to continue toward an equitable future. The event was part two of the Juneteenth weekend celebrations, with the inaugural Heritage Walking Tour on June 18.

Following opening remarks by William Harris and Noli Bias and a libation ceremony by Andrea Battle, the Town Council read its Juneteenth Proclamation and state Rep. Mindy Domb addressed the crowd.

“[Today] is about celebrating, but today is really also about actions, not just words,” Domb said. “Emancipation Day was about saying, ‘We have these words, but we have to keep striving to put them in action and we actually have to have an action to make sure people hear it, know it, experience it.’ But that responsibility is on all of us today.”

Domb continued, “I can’t speak on Juneteenth without pointing out that maybe 10 years ago, we knew that white nationalists, right-wing violence and hate groups were on the rise. We saw white supremacy in the corners of the room, under rocks, where it was dark. It’s not in the dark anymore; it’s out in force and it’s out in the light. We have to fight that with everything we have, we have to condemn it, we have to march against it, we have to call it out, we cannot afford to minimize it. We minimize it, we’re blowing oxygen on it.”

The Amherst Area Gospel Choir, The Incredible Jonathan “Ice-Bird” Nelson, Africana Dance and Fitness, ARHS poets and singer D’Anthony Lorenzo provided some of the entertainment throughout the rest of the ceremony.