The Juneteenth flag was raised along with the American flag in variable wind conditions. —Dena Porter 
Martha’s Vineyard NAACP Director Shawn Ramoutar reminded the crowd that “freedom delayed is freedom denied.” —Dena Porter 
Dr. Lorna Chambers Andrade shared some of the history of the Cottagers with the crowd. —Dena Porter 
Rev. Joanne Hus encouraged people to renew their commitment to equity. —Dena Porter 
The crowd gathered for the flag raising ceremony at the Tabernacle in the campgrounds. —Dena Porter 
Janice Humphrey and Gwen Miller showed off their Juneteenth attire at the flag raising event. —Dena Porter 
Kevin Davenport, Joe Solomon and James Blue had a good chat before the flag raising ceremony. —Dena Porter 
Visitors from across the country arrived on the Vineyard to celebrate the Juneteenth holiday. —Dena Porter 
Marney Toole gave a Juneteenth sticker to 7-year-old Averie Montgomery to wear. —Dena Porter 
Families and friends turned out for the flag raising ceremony at the Tabernacle in Oak Bluffs. —Dena Porter 
Visitors from across the country arrived on the Vineyard to celebrate the Juneteenth holiday. —Dena Porter 
Dr. Lorna Chambers Andrade shared some of the history of the Cottagers with the crowd. —Dena Porter
The Martha’s Vineyard Camp Association (MVCA) commemorated Juneteenth with its fifth annual ceremonial flag raising outside of the Tabernacle in Oak Bluffs on Friday morning, kick-starting a series of celebrations throughout Martha’s Vineyard.
About 60 people took in speeches from community leaders before the Juneteenth flag was hoisted.
Rev. Joanne Hus, the pastor of The First Congregational Church of West Tisbury, emphasized the flag’s symbolic significance.
“Let this flag rise as a symbol of remembrance, celebration, and hope for a future where freedom is fully realized, where dignity is protected, where truth is honored, and where all people may live in peace, in unity, and respect,” Hus said.
Juneteenth memorializes when the last enslaved African-Americans in Galveston, Texas learned about the abolition of slavery on June 19, 1865. The news came two years after the Emancipation Proclamation’s passage. In 2021, former President Joe Biden signed a bill making Juneteenth a federal holiday.
Oak Bluffs Select Board member Sean deBettencourt highlighted the persistence and survival of African-Americans during the span of time between the Emancipation Proclamation’s passage and the full abolition of slavery.
“Juneteenth isn’t just a date on the calendar,” deBettencourt said. “It’s about the gap between a promise being made and a promise being kept, and about the people who held on through that gap who never stopped demanding better.”
He also acknowledged the historical legacy of Oak Bluffs as a safe gathering place for African-Americans.
“This celebration belongs in Oak Bluffs,” he said. “This town has long held a place for African- American families. It was a place to come back to, to breathe a little easier, to see familiar faces, and to be part of a community.”
Shawn Ramoutar, president of the Martha’s Vineyard chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), underscored the necessity of activism to enact change.
“Freedom is not free. It is paid for by the courage of our ancestors,” Ramoutar said. “It was carried forward by families, churches, schools, civil rights leaders, veterans, workers, and everyday people like yourselves who believe that America could be better than it has been and is currently.”
Ramoutar called for community building amidst national division.
“Here on Martha’s Vineyard, we know the power of community. We know that when people come together across race, background, neighborhood, faith, and generation, we can build something stronger than fear,” he said.
Dr. Lorna Chambers Andrade, a member of the Martha’s Vineyard branch of the NAACP and the Cottagers, a local nonprofit in Oak Bluffs, asked for audience members wearing red, a color symbolizing the sacrifices made for freedom, to stand up.
“The reason I’m having you do this is because of our slave ancestors and the blood that was shed,” Andrade said. “Now think about that in terms of the current president. I want you all to remember to organize and in your churches have a civic altar call. Faith without work is dead.”
Following the speeches, Rev. Hus led the crowd in a singing of James Weldon Johnson’s hymn “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” often called the “Black National Anthem.” The raising of the Juneteenth flag followed.
As the flag ascended, the crowd was awestruck by a rainbow arched in the sky.
Sally Dagnall, a retired fourth grade teacher at Munroe Elementary School in Tallmadge, Ohio, admired the unity at the flag raising.
“The camaraderie and the whole atmosphere is something that we should spread out,” Dagnall said.