When and where to celebrate Juneteenth in N.H., the only New England state that doesn’t recognize it as a holiday – The Boston Globe

With the newest federal holiday, Juneteenth, coming up on Friday, organizers have planned a variety of events to celebrate emancipation from slavery and reflect on American stories that often have been sidelined.

The jubilee, which Black communities had been celebrating for generations before President Joe Biden signed legislation in 2021 to make it a national holiday, has become a touchstone for broader debates about patriotism and the history of racism. While its proximity to the Fourth of July has long irked some detractors, Juneteenth this year coincides with an even bigger milestone: the nation’s 250th birthday.

JerriAnne Boggis, executive director of the Black Heritage Trail of New Hampshire, said her team’s lineup of events — which begin Friday and run through June 28 — are intended to be experienced alongside the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. That document captured core American principles and aspirations, she said.

“If we really looked at the Declaration of Independence and strive for those ideals, we would be a stronger and better and more inclusive country than we are right now,” she said.

Juneteenth marks the anniversary of June 19, 1865, which is when the emancipation from slavery was announced in Texas, more than two years after President Abraham Lincoln’s proclamation. Texas was the first to recognize it as an official holiday, in 1980. A majority of the states have since followed suit, mostly in the past six years.

New Hampshire is the only state in New England that still doesn’t recognize Juneteenth as a holiday. State lawmakers rejected a proposal in 2024 that would have established the annual holiday. They decided keeping Juneteenth as an annual observance would be “the proper position for New Hampshire.”

Here are some of the Juneteenth events happening in New Hampshire:

June 17

The Hancock Town Library will host an event at 7 p.m. about the history of Juneteenth and books about African American history.

June 18

The Keene Public Library will host a film screening and Q&A on Thursday, June 18, at 6 p.m. about the 2026 documentary “Billy Preston: That’s the Way God Planned It.”

June 19

The Black Heritage Trail of New Hampshire will host a Freedom Walk at 9 a.m., followed by a 10 a.m. ceremony at the African Burying Ground in Portsmouth to honor marginalized communities.

The Currier Museum of Art in Manchester will host an all-ages art-making event from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., with a special tour at 1 p.m. highlighting Black American artists.

Juneteenth Nashua will host a Freedom Day celebration from 2 to 6 p.m. at the Downtown Riverwalk.

A group called “DEI in the Lakes & Mountains” will host a celebration at Camp Hale in Center Sandwich from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m.

The city of Keene, W.S. Badger, and the Keene Family YMCA will host a celebration from 5 to 8 p.m. at Fuller Park. The musician JohnLu will perform beginning at 6:30 p.m.

June 20

Juneteenth New England, organized by BWINH Inc., will host a celebration at 1 p.m. at Crossway Christian Church in Nashua.

June 21

The Black Heritage Trail will have live performers embody five historic African Americans from New Hampshire’s past at 11 a.m. in Portsmouth.

June 28

The Black Heritage Trail will offer a ticketed guided bus tour beginning at 10 a.m. in Portsmouth, followed by an interactive exhibit at 1 p.m. at the American Independence Center in Exeter.

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Steven Porter can be reached at steven.porter@globe.com. Follow him @reporterporter.