Somerville celebrating Juneteenth with flag raising and citywide events

On June 1, 2025, in Latest News, by The Somerville Times

Programs scheduled throughout June to honor Black voices, heritage, and resilience

Mayor Katjana Ballantyne and the Somerville Department of Racial and Social Justice (RSJ) invite community members to celebrate Juneteenth in Somerville by joining in events happening throught the month of June that explore an array of experiences and perspectives.

City Hall Flag Raising

All are invited to join Somerville’s third annual Juneteenth flag raising and on Monday, June 16, on the City Hall concourse (93 Highland Ave.) from noon to 1 p.m.

Alongside the flag raising, hear from local leaders and advocates, and free ice cream will be available. This event’s rain date is Tuesday, June 17, from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.

Citywide Juneteenth Events

RSJ is partnering with the Somerville Museum, the City of Medford, and Tufts University to provide additional Juneteenth programming during the month of June. Schedule is as follows:

Expressions of Black Joy as a Form of Resistance at Tufts University

Date: Wednesday, June 18
Time: 8:15 to 11:30 a.m.
Location: Joyce Cummings Center at Tufts University (177 College Ave., Medford)

Join Tufts University and the Cities of Medford and Somerville for a morning program that includes breakfast, a session on the history of Juneteenth, and workshops based around the theme of “Expressions of Black Joy as a Form of Resistance.” More event info at: diversity.tufts.edu/events/juneteenth-2025/

Royall House Museum Tour

Community members are invited to visit the Royall House and Slave Quarters in Medford on Juneteenth for free admission and a chance to explore this national historic landmark and learn more about one of the only remaining freestanding quarters where enslaved people lived and worked in the North.

Date: Thursday, June 19
Time: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Location: Royall House and Slave Quarters Museum (15 George St., Medford)

Juneteenth at Blessing of the Bay

Join the Somerville Museum at the Blessing of the Bay Boathouse to enjoy Indigenous performances, storytelling, and dance honoring the stories and voices of African American and Indigenous communities.

Date: Sunday, June 22
Time: 1 to 3 p.m.
Location: Blessing of the Bay Boathouse (32 Shore Dr.)

Frederick Douglass Reading

In collaboration with the Somerville Museum and the Somerville Arts Council, the annual reading of Frederick Douglass’s famous address, “What to the Slave is the 4^th of July?”, will take place at Somerville’s Fourth of July fireworks celebration.