Let freedom ring
In 1980, 115 years after slaves learned they were no longer slaves in Texas, Juneteenth became a legal state holiday in the southern state. For several years now, the Martha's Vineyard NAACP has celebrated the holiday, on June 14, with an event at the Oak Bluffs School. This year, in addition to speakers such as Natalie Dickerson, Robert Tankard, and Troy Small, there was an Martha's Vineyard NAACP choir performance, silent auction, and student art show.
The event was co-sponsored by the Martha's Vineyard NAACP and the Island Diversity Council.
Lawrence "Larry" Watson, director of the Martha's Vineyard NAACP choir.
Photos by Ralph Stewart
Photos by Ralph Stewart
A receptive crowd enjoys last Saturday's Juneteenth celebration at the Oak Bluffs School. In the front row are, from left, Harriet Fields, Patricia Harris, and Marcie Jones.
