Portsmouth Breathes New Life Into a Forgotten Legacy with Juneteenth Dance and Memorial Renewal

19 June 2025

Provided By Black Heritage Trail Of New Hampshire

Portsmouth, New Hampshire has woven together remembrance and celebration with its Juneteenth events, blending solemn reflection and spirited community gathering. Organized by the Black Heritage Trail of New Hampshire, this year’s commemoration culminated in the rededication of the African Burying Ground Memorial Park, followed by a powerful community dance that reclaimed space both historically and culturally.

Over the past two weeks, the Black Heritage Trail collaborated with local institutions to stage a program of artfully curated events, history-focused tours, musical recitals, film screenings, and roundtable discussions on equity and inclusion. These activities marked both the June 19 anniversary of emancipation for enslaved Texans in 1865 and set the cultural tone for America’s approaching 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence .

At the heart of these events is JerriAnne Boggis, executive director of the Trail, who sees her mission as highlighting the unvarnished truth behind America’s founding myths. She encouraged attendees to question the selective storytelling surrounding celebrated founding fathers, brilliant leaders who simultaneously enslaved people and fathered children with them. Boggis raised a provocative query: what side of the story would descendants of the enslaved tell.

Thursday’s ritual opened with a ceremonial drumming and call to gather performed by the Akwaaba ensemble. Local voices and descendants of those interred at the burying ground then spoke at the memorial, honoring the 200 souls whose lives the site protects. Established in 2015 atop one of only two verified African burying grounds in New England, the park’s renewed dedication underscored the imperative of living memory.

These acknowledgments came at a time of political polarization. Although Juneteenth became a federal holiday in 2021 and is recognized across all 50 states, New Hampshire has yet to codify it as a state holiday. At the same time a recent federal ban on DEI programming in government propelled a broader rollback of historical recognition efforts. Boggis voiced concern about these trends, noting dwindling hope for progress but maintaining that truth-telling should not divide.

Acknowledgement and celebration led naturally into a community dance where drumming rhythms summoned a celebration of survival and unity. Elder participants and children alike honored their past, breaking literal and figurative bread to affirm connections across generations. Boggis emphasized the duality of such gatherings: “When we come together... enjoy music... we learn together... we’re creating these bonds of community,” she said.

In another innovative step, the Trail unveiled its new augmented reality platform at the burying ground. Visitors can now view AR layers showing the 1779 petition by New Hampshire’s enslaved people and reflections on the 10-year preservation journey for this site. The blend of high-tech presentation and historical authenticity offers a forward-thinking model for civic education.

By juxtaposing critical history with community celebration, the Trail captured the layered truths of Juneteenth. What began in 2025 as a commemoration of emancipation transformed into a broader call for inclusive historical narrative and engagement. The series of events combined scholarly rigor with emotional resonance and humble ritual, all culminating in a dance echoing centuries of survival.

As New Hampshire moves closer to its 250th year in 2026, Boggis and her team aim to carry forward this momentum, ensuring that the state’s future is informed not only by joyous remembrance but by an honest reckoning with its past. In Portsmouth, that reckoning begins under the drum beat of renewed conscience, collective history, and a community reassembled through remembrance and rhythm.