06/18/2026
Amherst celebrates 17th annual Juneteenth Jubilee
Jun 17, 2026 / 09:28 AM EDT
AMHERST, Mass. (WWLP) – The Black Business Association of Amherst Area and Sankofa Gumbo will host the 17th annual Juneteenth Jubilee on Friday.
The event is organized to mark the federal holiday of Juneteenth, with organizers stating the celebration will honor community, culture and the history of the federal holiday. The Jubilee on June 19 will feature live music, dancing, food and community awards at St. Brigid’s Parish Auditorium.
The banner-raising dedication ceremony took place on Tuesday at 3 p.m. on South Pleasant St. next to the Town Common. Amherst Town Council Vice President Ellisha Walker was present to make remarks at this event.
The 17th annual Juneteenth Jubilee, scheduled for Friday from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., will incorporate Mass Humanities’ Reading Frederick Douglass Together program. Dr. Amilcar Shabazz, founder and president of the Sankofa Gumbo organization, will serve as the keynote speaker for the Jubilee. Dr. Shabazz noted the historical significance of the event.
“This Juneteenth marking the historic moment on June 19, 1865, when freedom was made a reality beyond rich white men, we are gathering in a power boost to the soul,” Dr. Shabazz said. “Our whole purpose is to feel the vibration of what it means to get free.”
Rep. Mindy Domb will give remarks during an award ceremony at the Jubilee. Honors will be bestowed upon Kathleen Anderson, New England Chapter Female Co-Chair of the National Coalition of Blacks for Reparations in America (N’COBRA), who will receive the inaugural Extraordinary Leadership Award. Charles Walker-Hoover, a UMass Amherst 21st Century Leader, is slated to receive the Youth Excellence Award.
The Jubilee will offer a variety of activities, including drumming, dancing, an interactive fashion show and a vendor marketplace. An open mic session is planned for spoken word, hip-hop performances and gospel music. Africana Bowl and Talk of the Town will prepare food for a community buffet. Alysia Bryant, a member of BBAAA and owner of Carefree Cakery, has been commissioned to create two cakes: one for Juneteenth and another to commemorate BBAAA’s 10th anniversary.
Pat Ononibaku, president of the Black Business Association of Amherst Area, expressed gratitude for the support received for the program. “We are grateful to our sponsors in helping make possible an exciting Juneteenth program centering the power of community, conversations, joy and the arts,” Ononibaku said. She also mentioned the dedication of this year’s Juneteenth. “We dedicate this Juneteenth to the late oral historian Dr. Demetria Shabazz who grew up in Galveston, Texas. Sharing Juneteenth among the people in Amherst was among her passion projects when she and her family settled here 20 years ago.”
BBAAA is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, providing networking, mentorship and technical assistance to local entrepreneurs. “BBAAA—celebrating our tenth anniversary this year—is excited to help usher in the 17th Annual Juneteenth Jubilee as we take on local struggles for racial and economic justice,” Ononibaku stated. She further extended appreciation for community support. “We are grateful to the Amherst Cultural Council for supporting our Juneteenth program. We welcome sponsorships and donations from organizations, businesses and individuals to ensure we have an exciting, meaningful and memorable community celebration.”
Donations for Hadley Black fire survivors will be collected at the event. Juneteenth t-shirts will also be available for sale to support BBAAA’s youth-engaged programming.
Sponsors for the Juneteenth Jubilee include the Amherst Cultural Council, Mass Humanities, Mass. Women of Color Coalition, Greenfield Northampton Cooperative Bank, Greenfield Savings and UMassFiveCollege Federal Credit Union.
The 17th annual Juneteenth Jubilee in Amherst will be held on Friday, featuring live music, dancing, food, and community awards.
