Juneteenth Programming 2022
Join us and other local community programs and events to celebrate Juneteenth!
Follow @juneteenth_portland_me for more details about Juneteenth events happening across Maine.
PMA Community Quilt with Loquat
When: June 19, 11 a.m.-1 p.m.
Where: Portland Museum of Art, 7 Congress Square, Portland, ME
Museum and Programming is free and open to the public. Join the Portland Museum of Art and Portland-based artist Jordan Carey, founder of Loquat, for a day of quilt designing and discussions on the history of Juneteenth. Carey will be on-site embroidering quilting squares for participants to color and design. After Juneteenth, a quilt will be built by Carey using the designed squares. The finished quilt design will be shown on the PMA's social media and blog.
PMA “Connection and Collaboration”: Juneteenth Film Series
When: June 17-19
Cane River (1982) – Friday, June 17 at 2 & 6 p.m.: the landmark, recently-rediscovered independent romance from 1982.
Wattstax (1973) – Saturday, June 18 at 2 p.m.: a chronicle of the day-long Los Angeles 1973 music festival commemorating the anniversary of the uprising in Watts.
Everything Earned (2021) – Saturday, June 18 at 4 p.m. with an introduction and Q&A with director Zamzam Elmoge: this documentary follows Ronnie Turner, the new head coach at Lewiston High School as he navigates through his journey of being one of the very few black coaches in the state of Maine.
Brother to Brother (2004) – Sunday, June 19 at 2 p.m.
Where: Portland Museum of Art, 7 Congress Square, Portland, ME
All screenings free and open to the public, registration encouraged. In partnership with Charles Nero, Benjamin E. Mays ’20 Distinguished Professor of Rhetoric, Film, and Screen Studies and Africana at Bates College, PMA Films is excited to announce a new annual film series, “Connection and Collaboration.” The series, which is free and open to the public, will group films that examine and celebrate the ways African Americans collaborate across their differences for their survival. The films are presented in conjunction with a series of local events commemorating Juneteenth.
Rise and Shine Youth Retreat and Racial Equity and Justice
When: June 14-20
Where: Acadia, ME
Black Excellence Retreat: This retreat is for Black people in Maine and beyond to gather with family and friends of all backgrounds. The Black Excellence Retreat is a 7 day getaway at the Schoodic Institute in Winter Harbor, Maine. This getaway is a time to relax. You may enjoy fellowship with the community, participate in outdoor sports and explore Acadia National Park or simply sit in solitude and enjoy the fullness of unapologetic rest.
Maine Inside Out along with friends and partners present "Juneteenth Ain't Enough"
When: June 17, 3-5pm
Where: Kennedy Park, Lewiston, ME
Project Overview: “Juneteenth Ain’t Enough,” a free event in Lewiston’s Kennedy Park, will honor the emancipation of enslaved people in America while also pausing to recognize that the systems and structures that allowed for slavery to exist are in fact still intact today with over 2 million people, disproportionately Black people and other people of color in the criminal justice system, prisons, jails, and detention centers. The event will celebrate Juneteenth and also deepen and accelerate our continued collective work necessary toward liberation. The public event will feature the artwork of MIO BIPOC members and other BIPOC artists from the community aligned in our mission. This will be a collaborative event with other people, organizations and businesses working toward racial justice.
Juneteenth Booklet Workshop with Delphine Fawundu
When: June 18, noon-2 p.m.
Where: Indigo Arts Alliance, 60 Cove Street Studio, Portland, ME
Workshop Description: Please join Indigo Arts Alliance’s, June Artist in Residence Delphine Fawundu, co-founder and authorted of the book and movement, MFON: Women Photographers of the African Diaspora, in a hands-on workshop where participants will be able to explore their personal narratives in the form of bookmaking. Each participant will leave with a unique hand made book.
Portland Juneteenth Celebrations @ Congress Square Park: Liberated and Limber
When: June 18, 10 a.m.
Where: Congress Square Park, Portland, ME
Vinyasa Yoga: Saturday morning Vinyasa Yoga to kick off the Juneteenth celebration at Congress Square Park. The 1 hour session will be facilitated by Louisa Irele Priestley.
Portland Juneteenth Celebrations @ Congress Square Park: Freedom Fete
When: June 18, 6:30-9pm
Where Congress Square Park, Portland, ME
Dance Party: Saturday evening we pick up the pace with some disco tunes by DJ ex__voto and DJ Liz. This dance party is Juneteenth and Pride oriented. All are welcome to come get down and boogie.
Portland Juneteenth Celebrations @ Congress Square Park
When: Sunday June 19, 1-4 p.m.
Where: Congress Square Park, Portland, ME
Juneteenth Celebration: Sunday is the third annual Juneteenth Celebration. Continuing the tradition of art making, there will be printmaking, storytelling, live music performances and original spoken word and oration by local HS youths and much more…
Ellsworth Juneteenth Commemoration @ Knowlton Park
When: June 19, 12-4 p.m.
Where: Knowlton Park, Ellsworth, ME
'Illuminating the Continuum of the Black Experience in Maine' with music, poets, speakers, authors and delectable food for all families this Father’s Day. We feel it's important to recognize it as an opportunity to highlight Black people in business and the arts who have been and continue to be central to the formation and growth of Maine. It’s an opportunity for exposure to the diversity that exists in this state as we’re reminded that the struggle for freedom and equality persists.
Maine State Prison Juneteenth Event with Samuel James and others
When: June 21
Where: Maine State Prison, ME
About: Hosted by the MSP-NAACP and Maine Prisoner Advocacy Coalition. Andre Hicks is performing.
Afrofuturism 2022
When: June 19, 9 a.m.
Juneteenth Parade : from Kittery to the African Burial Ground in Portsmouth, NH.
Uproar
When: June 19, 2 p.m. (Live & Streamed)
Where: African Burying Ground Memorial, Portsmouth, NH
UPROAR: A CELEBRATION OF AFRICAN AMERICAN CREATIVITY: Uproar is a high-energy performance that introduces audiences to the unique lineages of this African American dance and demonstrates how enslaved people on American soil used stepping as a vehicle for communication, self-expression, and joy. This performance features an intergenerational step team, poets, and musicians.
James Weldon Johnson Day Celebration
When: June 17, 10 a.m.
Where: St. Philip’s Church, Wiscasset, ME
James Weldon Johnson Day Celebration: Join the Permanent Commission on the Status of Racial, Indigenous, and Tribal Populations in Wiscasset to celebrate Maine’s first annual James Weldon Johnson Day! Events kick off starting at 10:00 a.m. Friday, June 17, 2022 at St. Philip’s church in Wiscasset. The exciting program will include poetry, music, film, and history events.
Recovering Maine’s Black History
When: Saturday, June 18, 1-3 p.m.
Where: Maine Maritime Museum’s Long Reach Hall, Bath, ME
Panel Discussion: A panel discussion on “Recovering Maine’s Black History” will take place Saturday, June 18 from 1:00 – 3:00 pm at Maine Maritime Museum’s Long Reach Hall in Bath. This event featuring Bob Greene, Vana Carmona, Kathy Ostrander Roberts, James Tanzer, and Lisa Simpson Lutts is hosted by the Permanent Commission on the Status of Racial, Indigenous, and Tribal Populations in the context of the James Weldon Johnson and Juneteenth observances and is co-sponsored by the Lincoln County Historical Association and Atlantic Black Box.
South Portland Juneteenth Celebration @ Mill Creek Park/South Portland Library
When: June 19
Where: Mill Creek Park/South Portland Library, ME
About: Raising of the Juneteenth flag over city hall. Musical and artistic offerings from Genius Black and others. Educational opportunities and children’s literature made available through the SP library . Bomba performance. 4:30 pm: Viewing of “Enslavement, the Underground Railroad and Abolition in Greater Portland” presentation at the SP Public Library followed by Q&A with historian Seth Goldstein.
Brunswick Juneteenth
When: Sunday, June19, 11 a.m.-2 p.m. (Rain date: June 20)
Where: Brunswick Green, Maine Street, ME
About: Brunswick School Department: DEI Committee. Keynote speakers: Dr. Brian Purnell and Dr. Theodore Johnson to have them speak on the history and narrative of the Black experience. Talk about the experience of Black citizens and the value that a day like this has for all Black and brown peoples who trace their heritage to the Middle Passage, Enslavement, and subsequent freedom. Showcase cultural art, music, that depicts both the celebration, joy, and struggle of the Black experience. Elevating specific Maine Artists including Ashley Bryan. Will also have tables for groups to educate community about their efforts. Confirmed Food Truck: Maiz.
Westbrook Juneteenth Freedom Celebration
When: June 19, 1-3 p.m.
Where: Riverbank Park in Westbrook, ME
About: Join us for an afternoon of music, speakers, art, and history, commemorating Juneteenth at Riverbank Park in Westbrook, Maine, on Sunday, June 19th from 1-3pm. Speakers include Bishop Steve Coleman, Rep Rachel Talbot Ross, Mayor Foley and Historian Bob Greene. Art projects led by Westbrook High Students include hair beading, step dance classes, face painting and more. Music provided by Westbrook High School Chamber Singers and 107.9 WJZP, Portland’s only minority-owned radio station. Everyone is welcome to dance, listen and learn at this inaugural Juneteenth event, hosted by One Westbrook and the City of Westbrook.
Damariscotta Juneteenth Celebration
When: June 19, 12-3 p.m.
Where: Coastal Rivers Salt Bay Farm, Belvedere Road, Damariscotta, ME
Join Bee AWARE and Coastal Rivers Conservation Trust for a community celebration of our new national holiday. Many of us intend to bring a picnic and a blanket. There will be a large tent with tables if the weather does not cooperate. Free beverages and cake. There will be a Juneteenth Walking Trail that allows us to reflect on this holiday’s foundational place in our American story. Fun activities and Motown music. Enjoy community and celebrate freedom!
The Third Place
When: June 19
Where: Ummah Gardens in Turner, ME
3rd Annual Juneteenth Community Celebration – Land and Our Collective Liberation: The Third Place invites you to our 3rd Annual Juneteenth Community Celebration – Land and Our Collective Liberation. This year, we are moving the celebration to Ummah Gardens in Turner, ME - a Black-Owned farm and cooperative developed to support community and economic development, health, and healing. The farm and cooperative initiative is a perfect backdrop for this Juneteenth celebration as we take the time to reflect and celebrate the resourcefulness, and resilience of Descendants of the Enslaved in the Americas. Following lunch, we will provide time for participants to make offerings of poetry, prayer, song, or reflection. Our theme for this year’s gathering is Land and Our Collective Liberation. We invite you to reflect on the transformative value that land and land access can provide in helping us achieve our collective liberation in the present day. Offerings to support this theme are welcome but not required. RSVP required.