FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 6/7/2024

Juneteenth New England Celebration to Honor Freedom and Resilience Concord, NH – – BWINH Inc. is proud to announce the Juneteenth New England celebration, taking place on June 22nd, 2024, at the lovely Kimball Jenkins Estate in Concord, NH.

This event commemorates the emancipation of enslaved African Americans in the United States and celebrates the rich history, culture, and achievements of Black communities. Juneteenth, also known as Freedom Day or Emancipation Day, marks the day on June 19th, 1865, when Union soldiers arrived in Galveston, Texas, with news that the Civil War had ended and that enslaved individuals were now free. 

This year’s Juneteenth New England celebration will feature a variety of activities and performances, including: ● Educational Exhibits: Learn about the history and significance of Juneteenth. 

● Live Music and Performances: Enjoy performances by local artists celebrating African American culture. 

● Vendor Market: Shop from local Black-owned businesses and artisans. 

● Food and Refreshments: Sample traditional African American cuisine from our featured chef, Theresa Perry of Breaking Bread 603 

● Community Art Project: View a collaborative art piece celebrating the ancestors of the local Black community,

 ● Children’s Activities: Engaging activities for children of all ages. 

“We are excited to host the Juneteenth New England celebration and to honor the resilience and strength of the Black community,” said Deborah Williams, Social Club Committee Member of Black Womxn of NH Social Club. 

“This event is an opportunity for people of all backgrounds to come together, learn, and celebrate freedom and equality.” 

The Juneteenth New England celebration is free and open to the public. Volunteers are welcome to join and assist with various activities leading up to the event and on the day of the celebration. For more information or to volunteer, please visit:

https://linktr.ee/bwinhsc?utm_source=linktree_profile_share  

Or contact [email protected].  

About BWINHSC: Black Womxn of NH Social Club is a safe space committed to connecting with other local black women, femmes, and nonbinary people living in NH. Our aim is to ensure that every Black Womxn in New England is aware that there is a community that stands ready to uplift and support them. Through a range of initiatives engaged by the committee we aim at alleviating harsh effects of racism, sexism, and gender discrimination. We strive to convey the message that New Hampshire is a welcoming and safe state for the black community. 

Contact: Deborah Williams Social Club Committee Member BWINHSC [email protected] 

Media Contacts

Nancy Brown, Guns To Gardens Project Coordinator, GunSense NH
(603) 731-5989, [email protected]

Zandra Rice Hawkins, Director of GunSenseNH, a project of Granite State Progress & Engage New Hampshire
(603) 892-2150 or [email protected]

*** Media Advisory for Saturday, June 8th, 10 am to 1 pm ***

NH Guns to Gardens Event Allows Granite Staters to Turn Unwanted Firearms Into Garden Tools

Annual event provides opportunity for Granite Staters to safely dispose of unwanted guns without putting them back out on the market; giveback gun program is the second New Hampshire event of national effort and falls during Gun Violence Awareness Week

CONCORD, NH - On Saturday, June 8th from 10 am to 1 pm, GunSense NH, a project of Granite State Progress and Engage New Hampshire, the NH Council of Churches, Kent Street Coalition, the Greater Concord Interfaith Council, the NH Conference of United Church of Christ, and other members of the NH Gun Violence Prevention Coalition will host a second annual “Guns to Gardens” event at the Concord Wesley United Methodist Church in Concord.

“This is a great opportunity for Granite Staters who want to remove unwanted firearms from their homes without putting them back out on the market,” said Zandra Rice Hawkins, director of GunSense NH, a project of Granite State Progress and Engage NH. “Guns to Gardens reduces unwanted firearms in our homes and instead transforms them into something more useful, and less harmful, to our community.”

Guns to Gardens provides the opportunity for gun owners to bring their unwanted firearms to a location where trained volunteers dismantle the firearms and later turn them into garden tools and works of art. Under state law, New Hampshire law enforcement officials are prohibited from destroying firearms which come into their possession and must either store the firearms, use them, or sell them back out on the market. Guns to Gardens provides an opportunity for Granite Staters to remove unwanted firearms from circulation. Last year’s NH Guns to Gardens program collected 31 unwanted firearms, including an AR-15.

“Many Americans are realizing that having a firearm in the home can increase the chances of someone harming  themselves or others,” said Nancy Brown, Guns to Gardens Project Coordinator. “I’m excited that Gun Sense NH and our coalition partners are able to bring this program back for a second year. This event provides the opportunity for unwanted guns to be permanently taken out of circulation, making our homes and communities safer places to live, work, go to school, and play.”

"We have been praying, asking God to do something about the problem of gun violence in our country,” said Rev. Westley Conn, Board Member, NH Council of Churches. “Guns to Gardens might just be one of the ways God is responding to our prayers, offering us a way to get rid of unwanted guns. This is our chance to follow through, to take our proverbial swords and turn them into plowshares."

Unwanted firearms collected at last year’s event generated garden tools, wooden bowls, and jewelry, some created by NH League of Craftsmen artisans (pictures available for media by request). Guns to Gardens is made possible with generous support from the NH Charitable Foundation Gilly Fund.

How to Participate: To participate, interested community members should bring unloaded firearms in the rear of their vehicle and remain in the vehicle at all times. Guns will be removed from vehicles by a volunteer and delivered to the chop saw operator, who will disable the firearm. Scrap metal from the firearms may be donated and then will go to a metal and wood artist to be transformed into garden tools and other works of art. The identity of those relinquishing firearms can remain anonymous.

What:       NH Guns to Gardens Event

When:      Saturday, June 8th, 10 AM - 1 PM

Where:     Wesley United Methodist Church, 79 Clinton St, Concord, NH

How:        Learn more details about the Guns to Garden event and how it works

Members of the media interested in attending should contact Zandra Rice Hawkins, (603) 892-2150 or [email protected] by Friday, June 7th at 1:00 PM. The event is not open for general public or general media viewing.

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The NH Gun Violence Prevention Coalition has worked together for the last decade to protect and advance common sense public safety laws. Members include gun violence prevention advocates, moms, medical professionals, gun owners, veterans, law enforcement, elected officials, school administrators, educators, students, and faith leaders, and organizations representing various constituencies. The coalition is convened by GunSense NH, a project of Granite State Progress and Engage NH.