Norwood Juneteenth only growing

Saturday saw barely a cloud in the sky for the fifth annual Norwood Juneteenth celebration on the Norwood Common.

Norwood Junteenth Committee Member and Norwood Police Department (NPD) School Resource Officer Geoff Baguma said that was quite a relief, as rain has hampered several past events.

“We definitely earned this one I think, after going through two of them in the rain,” he said with a laugh. “It was overall a success. People came, and we had a lot more new people who hadn’t been there before.”

A few hundred residents came in and out of the event, which featured music, dancing, food, cultural experiences, informational booths, and a good deal of history.

Juenteenth is the traditional celebration of the last slaves in the United States to to be informed that they were now free. While the specific date and location may be a subject of modern debate, the holiday focuses on Galveston, Texas, where Major General Gordon Granger issued General Order No. 3, formally informing residents of Texas that all slaves were thenceforth free.

Baguma said it was a great event and he was happy to see many faces he didn’t recognize.

“It was just good to see new people,” he said. “We had some familiar faces, but definitely a good number of new people. Some people in the past may have been anxious, not knowing what to expect but they overcame their fear. It’s a great event, both for what it represents and the great community behind it.”

Baguma said they had a lot of residents just there for the fun, but he said some came to learn more about the holiday.

“Some said they never knew about Juneteenth, some didn’t know about the event here in Norwood, and some said they would always read about it and didn’t have a chance to come down,” he said.

Baguma and the committee chose three recipients of this year’s Norwood Juneteenth Awards, which are aimed at honoring those in the community who have lived the values of the holiday.

“Today we gather to celebrate freedom, perseverance, excellence and service in individuals who help move our communities forward through their actions, character and commitment,” he said.

First up was Celina Lopes, who is currently a 7th grade science teacher and is competing as Miss Brockton U.S.A. in this year’s Miss Massachusetts competition.

“She is pursuing the title in part to earn scholarship support as she begins her masters degree this fall,” said Baguma. “As an educator, mentor and advocate for young people, she is dedicated to empowering students in recognizing their own potential.”

Lopes said her experience growing up has helped many of her students.

“As a Black child, I faced many things,” she said. “As a Black student, being called ‘Medusa,’ for having braids, having to straighten my hair every two weeks to assimilate – a lot of heat damage – but we are natural now. But this is all about embracing the culture, who you are and embracing Blackness. Thank God today is such a beautiful day, which is so very important. It’s telling our history and teaching our youth, so it’s so crucial. I teach them some things, like what happened with Trevon Martin, Tamir Rice and Cyrus Carmack-Belton. Not to scare them, but to motivate them to someday become someone who creates change in the community.”

Baguma said Lopes also is a performer, and worked on the Norwood Theatre production of “Ghost” last year. Lopes said she is also working to raise awareness around Cape Verde and its recent struggles.

“I am a Black American, and I am Cape Verdean, and we’re celebrating our 51st anniversary of independence,” she said. “Colonization is a real thing; we only got our dictionary a couple of years ago, and my cousin wrote it. Crazy. We are trying so hard to move forward as a people, and I think our diaspora is amazing, and we need to continue to have events like this to promote unity.”

Baguma also introduced and awarded Pierre Fontaine for his work as a math teacher at the Coakley Middle School.

“Pierre’s impact began in the classroom, but it did not end there,” Baguma said. “For countless students, he has become much more than a math teacher. While he has dedicated himself to helping young students master equations, solve problems and build academic confidence, his greatest lessons often have nothing to do with numbers. Day after day he serves as a mentor, a role model, or a voice of wisdom.”

Fontaine said he was thankful, but he was only doing what he thought was right.

“I’m thankful for receiving this award,” he said. “Thank you to the committee who selected me and for those wonderful words. They mean a lot to me. I’m just being myself, who God has made me to be. As a dad, I love being a father to my three wonderful children and a husband to my wife. So when I am at school, my goal is to make sure kids are treated the same as how I want my children to be treated, and have opportunity for every kid. So I’m thankful for receiving this award for just being myself and whatever God has purposed me to be. Thank you.”

Advertisement

Baguma also recognized Morrill Memorial Library Director Clayton Cheever for his work in bringing as much diverse perspectives as possible to library patrons.

“We wanted to recognize his work in the library in equality and diversity across the board, and he’s also part of the Juneteenth Committee,” said Baguma. “We were able to keep his nomination a secret from him, so he was definitely surprised.”

“It is an honor to work with the team to organize the Juneteenth celebration in Norwood since its foundation in 2021,” Cheever wrote to The Record. “Officer Baguma, Sam White, Ieshia Karasik, and Jua Robinson each bring such collaborative and creative energies. As is true with libraries, so is true for Norwood and every community - we are strongest when we stand together. I'm proud to work together to share stories of freedom and liberation, the spirit of Juneteenth. It is extra special to me to also have the Morrill Memorial Library staff honored this year. None of this work would be possible without the incredible teams that make it happen.”

Resident Keisha Desir said she came out because she wants to support the cause.

“Any time you celebrate freedom, Black restoration and anything positive Black, I’m all for it,” she said. “This was wonderful as always. Geoff never fails. He does a wonderful job in preparing these Juneteenth events, and this one doesn’t disappoint. I know we’re here rain or shine, but it’s great weather, great community, great celebration, and that’s a great combination.”

Resident Carl Geneus said this was his third Norwood Juneteenth, and he was happy to be high and dry, to say the least.

“It’s an important day to recognize and that’s why I’m here,” he said. “It’s good weather; a positive and happy time. It’s a great combination of passing on knowledge and history, recognizing folks in the community, but also giving families something to do in Town and supporting businesses.”

Residents Blair Beasley and Brooke Beasley came to support DJ Beas – on Instagram as @DJBeas – who worked the event. Blair is his sister and Brooke is his wife.

“We are big fans of DJ Beas,” said Blair. “This is year three for him. We love the event, the community and everything they showcase here is really fun.”

“Beas is really big in supporting the community, and it’s always good for us to get out and meet people in the area, but it’s also great to see him get out there and showcase his ability,” said Brooke.

For more information on Norwood Juneteenth, go to https://gvimes.link/norjunteen