Granby Celebrates Juneteenth!

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Attendees dance in first half of Soul Sound Revue show.

Even with cold, wind and rain, Granby Racial Reconciliation’s (GRR) inaugural Granby Celebrates Juneteenth Arts and Education Festival on June 18, 2022, held firm to honor the newest federal holiday. The weather could not dissuade a hearty core from remaining to dance to Soul Sound Revue’s rendition of “Love Train,” umbrellas in hand.

Jill Ford

The words of First Selectman, Mark Fiorentino, offered by Jill Ford in his absence, summed up the need for a Juneteenth celebration to accomplish the following: “…as good as our community is, we have work to do. We have work to do in understanding each other, learning from each other and respecting each other.”

He expressed hope that by gathering in celebration, town members would recognize Juneteenth as “our collective history, and we have a collective responsibility to embrace it and learn from it…we recognize that the future also belongs to us all. It is ours to shape. It is our collective responsibility to work together to make our town, our state, our country, and our world a better, safer, and more peaceful place.”

In this spirit, GRR invites the community to Courageous Conversations on Race at Salmon Brook Park with “After Juneteenth…What’s Next,” July 2 at noon, pavilion 2.

Photos by Jay Harder, Paula Johnson and Chris Fisher

Artist David C Jackson in action.
GMHS graduates Haley Kaczka and Zolah Daley sing.
Attendees dance to Soul Sound Revue’s “Love Train.”
Juneteenth committee members Monica Logan, Sarah Merrill and Ken Mouning.