The city of San Diego is honoring Juneteenth Friday and throughout the weekend with several events to mark the federal holiday.
Juneteenth commemorates June 19, 1865, the day around 250,000 enslaved people in Texas learned of their freedom, which was enforced by Union soldiers. These last Americans in chattel slavery were freed more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation had declared enslaved people in Confederate states free.
It became a federal holiday in 2021, when President Joe Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act into law. California later established Juneteenth as a state holiday through Assembly Bill 1655, signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom on Sept. 29, 2022.
In 2023, the San Diego City Council voted to make June 19 a paid holiday for city workers.
San Diego City Hall Tuesday raised the Juneteenth flag ahead of the federal holiday this Friday, marking the sixth time the flag has been hoisted outside the city’s administration building.
“Juneteenth is a celebration of freedom, but it is also a reminder that freedom did not arrive at the same time, or in the same way, for everyone in this country,” City Councilman Henry L. Foster III said. “It is a celebration of Black joy, liberty, family, culture, faith, freedom, and of the generations of Black communities and families that continued to thrive despite barriers.
“As we raise this flag, we honor that legacy and continue the work of advancing equity, expanding opportunity and removing barriers for Black communities.”
For years, Juneteenth was recognized at City Hall through a ceremonial presentation led by Council District 4 and the city’s Black Employees Association.
Juneteenth events in San Diego County
Friday events:
Juneteenth events continue this week. This Friday, on the holiday itself, the Juneteenth Community Block Party will begin at noon on Louisiana Street in North Park with music, vendors and more on the corner of Louisiana Street and University Avenue.
At 5 p.m. Quartyard will host an R&B Block Party with a Juneteenth theme at 1301 Market St.
Saturday events:
At 11 a.m., the annual Cooper Family Foundation Juneteenth celebration will take place in Memorial Park. The event will feature educational programs, entertainment, family activities, food and vendors. Durti- Ryce and Deron will perform. 2975 Ocean View Blvd;
At 1 p.m., Kinfolk Fest, a Juneteenth celebration, will begin at Waterfront Park. Event will feature live music and DJs, a Black-owned marketplace, food and beverages. Waterfront Park, 1600 Pacific Highway;
At 7 p.m., the WorldBeat Cultural Center will host a lecture on the Underground Railroad that ran into Mexico. Chief Thomi Perryman will run the visual presentation on the Mascogos of Nacimiento de los Negros, an Afro- Mexican community in Coahuila, Mexico that has celebrated Juneteenth for over 150 years and never stopped. The event will take place at 2100 Park Blvd.
Black Family statue
Last Saturday, the city and the Mountain View community unveiled the restored Black Family statue at Neal Petties Mountain View Community Park, kicking off the community’s Juneteenth Celebration and restoring a piece of history.
Created in 1974 by artist Rossie Wade, the original statue depicted two parents and their two children standing tall toward the sky. It served as a meet-up location for residents. Over many years, the wooden statue deteriorated, leaving behind only its brick base and plaque.
“Today’s unveiling honors not only the extraordinary artistic legacy of Rossie Wade, but also the enduring strength, unity and resilience of the Black families and communities he sought to celebrate through his work,” said Sen. Akilah Weber Pierson, D-San Diego. “By restoring this landmark, we are preserving an important piece of San Diego’s history and ensuring that Rossie Wade’s vision continues to inspire pride, connection and belonging for years to come.”
When community member Jeffery Hayes discovered a photo of the statue that once stood there, he connected with Wade’s daughters to see about possibly recreating it. They then contacted the San Diego College of Continuing Education’s Educational Cultural Complex, where Mike Bradbury, a welding instructor there, worked with an instructional assistant to bring the work back to life.
“I created a smaller version of statues that Rossie had made for the ECC decades ago, which we showcased at the 2024 MLK Parade. During that process I, too, fell in love with what these statues represented for this community,” Bradbury said. “It gave me an opportunity to meet folks that have lived here all of their lives and remember the original Black family and how it was a welcoming invitation to come and gather. Being asked to be a part of this process is quite an honor and one that I will carry with me for the rest of my life.”
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