Juneteenth Celebration
From Salem Links and Lore
Salem celebrated Juneteenth on June 19th in 2021 for the first time. President Joe Biden signed legislation establishing
the day as "Juneteenth National Independence Day". This is one of the first new Federal holidays since Martin Luther King Day.
The event was held outside at city hall and included as speaker Rev. Dr. Andre Bennet
of the Zion Baptist Church in Lynn. The program ended with two singers who sang "Lift Every Voice and Sing" the Black national anthem.
Mayor Kim Driscoll has formed a Race Equity Task Force in June 2020 to address the systemic racism in Salem.
See Also
"Salem Juneteenth speakers: fight for equity, equality still on" Salem Gazette, Fri. June 25, 2021, p. 1A
