Celebrating Juneteenth

On June 19, 1865, Union troops arrived in Galveston Bay, TX, announcing that enslaved Africans were free by federal degree.  Although the Emancipation Proclamation was effective as of 1863, it took two years for the liberation of the enslaved in Texas to be realized.  This day of liberation came to be known and celebrated as Juneteenth.  

Charles Blow, an American journalist and commentator, noted in his article “On Juneteenth, Freedom Came With Strings Attached,” published today in the New York Times that
 
“[p]erhaps the best way to consider Juneteenth is not as the moment Black people attained freedom but as a moment in the long-running struggle to realize freedom.  When slavery is replaced by a succession of systems—Black codes, Jim Crow, mass incarceration—that, though diminished in their brutality, oppress on the same principles, a true, comprehensive freedom still eludes.”
 
This article begs the question, what is freedom?  It urges us to critically consider the mechanisms and structures that replaced the institution of slavery to extend a system of unfree labor and a society built upon a racially stratified economic system.  I encourage you all to read this excellent and insightful article as we enjoy a day off from work. Below is a link to the article:
 
On Juneteenth, Freedom Came With Strings  
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/06/18/opinion/juneteenth-texas.html?smid=nytcore-android-share

Following is a list of some local Juneteenth celebrations happening on June 19: 

The Napa Valley Black History Committee hosts a family-friendly community Juneteenth celebration at Oxbow Commons on Wednesday, June 19 from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Admission is free. Bring something to sit on and something to eat and drink. They’ll have crafts and games. See www.instagram.com/napa_valley_black_history.

https://donapa.com/event/juneteenth-celebration-in-napa/

The Pleasant Hill Diversity Commission invites the community to come to City Hall (100 Gregory Lane) on June 19, 2024, for the 2nd Annual Juneteenth Celebration.

June 19, known as Juneteenth, is recognized as the day slavery was finally abolished in the United States. To celebrate that momentous day, the commission is holding an event near the City Hall Lake. The event this year coincides with the City’s Off the Grid food truck event, so there will be plenty of cuisines to choose from. There will also be performers, activities, and the music of the West African Highlife Band. https://mcecleanenergy.org/event/pleasant-hill-juneteenth-celebration/

Black is Beautiful — A Strange Constellation Juneteenth Celebration: Vintage clothing shop and art space Strange Constellation, located in Santa Rosa’s SOFA district, will host a Juneteenth block party in collaboration with Café Frida Gallery, Positive Images, the Spinster Sisters and other SOFA district businesses. The celebration will include a pop-up art gallery at Strange Constellation, a drag show at Café Frida and an art market featuring Black vendors from the Bay Area. Tickets are $20, though a sliding scale option will be available. 4-10 p.m. 300 S. A St., Suite 1, Santa Rosa. Contact hello@strangeconstellation.com  for more information. www.strangeconstellation.com 

Juneteenth Celebration Potluck: Healdsburg pub the Elephant in the Room will host a Juneteenth celebration with a potluck party and live music by local jazz funk duo Neon Blue. The community is invited to bring a dish to share as they enjoy Afro-jazz-funk fusion music from 5-8 p.m. Free. 177 Healdsburg Ave., Healdsburg. www.elephantintheroompub.com

“The Right to Read” film screening at Rialto Cinemas: Only in theaters Juneteenth, “The Right to Read” is a documentary by Jenny Mackenzie, executive produced by Levar Burton, that focuses on a critical civil rights issue: literacy. The film shares the story of Oakland NAACP activist Kareem Weaver, with the aid of a teacher and two families, who — dismayed with bleak reading scores in their community and across the nation — work to improve reading instruction at Oakland schools. Rialto Cinemas in Sebastopol will screen the film at 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. Admission is $7 for adults and $5 for children 11 and under and seniors 62 and over. Rialto Cinemas at 6868 McKinley St., Sebastopol. 707-525-4840. www.rialtocinemas.com

I hope that you enjoy the holiday and take some time for learning and reflection.

Dr. Patricia van Leeuwaarde Moonsammy
Senior Director, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers (Why is this here?)
patricia.moonsammy@napavalley.edu
707-256-7166

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