Hear more Community Spotlight listings at 15 and 45 past nearly every hour at 97.9 WHAV. To submit news of events, fundraising appeals and other announcements, click on the image. This program is supported in part by a grant from the Haverhill Cultural Council, a local agency which is supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency.
Haverhill’s 250th Committee, working with Calvary Baptist Church, plans a Juneteenth celebration with gospel and jazz music.
The Calvary Baptist Church Choir, Dennis Everett Jr. and Berklee Assistant Professor of Harmony & Jazz Composition Joseph Borsellino will perform. Pastor Kenneth Young of Calvary Baptist Church explains the significance.
“Juneteenth is a celebration of freedom, resilience and the enduring spirit of the African-American experience. It is also a time to recognize the profound cultural contributions that have shaped the soul of our nation. Among the most influential are Gospel and jazz music—two uniquely American art forms born from struggle, faith, hope and creative expression.
The celebration takes place Sunday, June 21, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., at GAR Park in downtown Haverhill. There will also be food vendors and residents are advised to bring their own lawn chairs and blankets.
Young said “Gospel music has long served as a source of strength, inspiration and unity within Black communities, carrying messages of perseverance and liberation through generations. Jazz, rooted in the rhythms and traditions of African American culture, transformed the global musical landscape with its innovation, improvisation, and spirit of freedom.”