Juneteenth is a holiday celebrated on June 19th to commemorate the emancipation of enslaved people in the US. The holiday was first celebrated in Texas, where on that date in 1865, in the aftermath of the Civil War, the news of the 1863 Emancipation Proclamation ending slavery finally reached that region. It is now a federal holiday.

As part of the celebration of Juneteenth in Hingham this year, the Hingham Unity Council (HUC) is inviting all students in grades Pre K-12 who live and/or attend school on the South Shore to share their views on the theme: Why is it important to celebrate Juneteenth? Students are invited to participate in a competition where they can express why we as a community should be commemorating this event through a work of visual or performance art, an essay or other written work. Students are invited to submit an essay, poem, a piece of visual art (drawing, painting, sculpture – any medium of expression is welcome!), a video or original song or other performance to the Juneteenth committee.

To enter, please send your submission to info@hinghamunity.org no later than Monday June 5, 2023. Please also use this email to contact us to arrange adjudication of any physical submissions as well. Please include your name, grade, school and contact information as part of the submission. Students are permitted to submit more than one entry if they desire.

There will be a winner from grades Pre K-2, one from grades 3-6 and one from 7-12. Each will receive a $50 gift card and the winning submission from each group will be showcased at the HUC’s Juneteenth celebration on Saturday June 19th from 3-5 pm at the Hingham Bathing Beach.

Please send any questions to info@hinghamunity.org

Brought to you in cooperation with our friends at the Hingham Arts Alliance.