'Because of them, we are here.' Pittsfield celebrates Juneteenth and the 54th Massachusetts Regiment on Sunday

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PITTSFIELD -- As Jerome Edgerton Jr. led the NAACP's Juneteenth Freedom Walk from City Hall to Durant Park on Sunday, the mood was more than just celebratory. "It felt like marching into battle," said Edgerton, whose drumming energized and announced the procession behind him.

The walk was part of a daylong series of events the NAACP held in anticipation of Juneteenth, a federal holiday that falls on Thursday.

Juneteenth celebrates the day -- June 19, 1865 -- when Union soldiers announced the freedom of nearly 250,000 slaves in the state of Texas by executive decree over two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation.

"It is the celebration of the freedom of African Americans. It is our day of independence," said Blayne Whitfield, the vice president at the Samuel Harrison House.

54th Massachusetts Regiment

While the NAACP has been hosting the celebration at Durant Park since 2021, this year's event had a new element: recognizing and remembering the 54th Massachusetts Regiment, one of the first Black infantry units in the Civil War.

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The 54th was promoted by Frederick Douglass, who gave a speech, "Men of Color, to Arms!" encouraging Black men to serve in the war. Two of Douglass' own sons joined the regiment.

In total, the 54th had around 1,000 soldiers and saw significant action, including a battle at Fort Wagner that was memorialized in the 1989 film "Glory."

"These were people who stood up to do the morally right thing," said Maurice Ricaud, one of three 54th regiment reenactors who participated in the day's festivities. "It's such an honor to be a part of that legacy."

Despite the 54th's impact, the unit and its local members often remain overlooked, which Sunday's event hoped to help rectify.

"The 54th played such an important role in our history, and yet they were barely a footnote in my education," said Bob Vance, another reenactor.

Eighty-one men from Berkshire County served in the 54th, including 14 from Pittsfield.

"There is this great rich history from [Pittsfield's] West Side, including the stories of these 14 men," said Tony Jackson, a descendant of one of the soldiers and the president of Westside Legends. "For so long, the sacrifices of the 54th have gone unrecognized. It's time that changes."

Juneteenth ceremonies

The morning began at the Pittsfield City Hall, where three 54th regiment reenactors read a proclamation, originally given by Union Gen. Gordon Granger, which liberated the country's remaining enslaved people and prompted the first Juneteenth celebration 160 years ago.

The opening ceremony also included a new proclamation, read by Mayor Peter Marchetti, declaring the importance of commemorating the holiday.

"Juneteenth provides an opportunity for all Americans to reflect on our history, acknowledge the injustices of the past and commit to building a more inclusive and equitable future for all," he said.

Then, Edgerton set off, drum beats echoing throughout West Street as he led the way to Durant Park.

"I was thinking of those soldiers, who were here in this area, and trying to let that shape the tone of the drumming and the tone of the day, and it was like I was beating this charge for warfare," said Edgerton. "We're here now, not physically fighting, but we can use our minds, our heart, our spirit, and our love."

The 54th regiment reenactors took up the march's rear.

At the park, festivities abounded. Shortly after arriving, people gathered for community worship and began setting up a multitude of tents filled with food, crafts, and activities.

At noon, Dennis Powell, the president of the Berkshire chapter of the NAACP, encouraged people to pick up signs, written with the names of every member of the 54th regiment in Berkshire County, and read their names, one by one, aloud.

"Because of them, we are here," said Powell. "There's an old African proverb that says, as long as we remember someone, they never die. We want to remember them forever."

Pittsfield murals to celebrate 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment legacy

To help achieve that goal, Powell led the crowd over to a mock-up of "Pride of the Westside," a mural celebrating the soldiers in the 54th that will be installed in the park later this year.

In addition to showing the faces of some of the regiment's members, including the Rev. Samuel Harrison, who helped them get the same pay as white troops, the mural will also include the names of all who served from the county. Earlier this month, "Glory of the Berkshires," another mural celebrating the 54th, was installed on College Way, replacing Pops Peterson's mural "Walk With Her," which depicted Civil Rights activist Ruby Bridges.

Festivities and celebration

The rest of the afternoon was dedicated to celebration. A temporary stage blasted music over the numerous vendors and people participated in everything from dancing to a basketball tournament.

At one corner of the park, Amina Wilson and Rebecca Johnson displayed a variety of books featuring Black characters. Volunteers read to children before giving them a book on Juneteenth and a coloring book about the 54th for free.

The main theme of the afternoon was community. "It's incredible to see all these different Black leaders coming together, in community, in one place," said Jackson.

Beverly Bolden, the vice president of Westside Legends agreed. "It's just amazing," she said, looking out over the park. "It makes me want to cry," she said.

"Even though it is Juneteenth, it's nice to see all different types of people out," said Edgerton. This is a day that is really about love and celebrating and having everybody come together as one. It's a beautiful thing to see."

Throughout it all, however, an undertone -- the country's recent division and upheaval -- remained.

"It's important to come together and think about the richness that is this country's history and this country's people," said Powell. "But I can't imagine what someone like W.E.B. Du Bois or Frederick Douglass would say about this moment we're in. We are at a time right now when we are all aware we have to be concerned about losing everything that we have fought for."