Juneteenth is a time where as a collective, we can honor and remember those whose lives were entrapped with injustices and their fight to gain freedom in a country that never initially supported them. To the actual day, those that were enslaved and later free, created their own celebration by taking up space and carrying on traditions for their future family and friends to prioritize.

“Juneteenth offers us a Sankofa moment, to go back and get the gifts our Ancestors have left, and use those gifts to become the Ancestors future generations deserve,” mentioned Phillipe Copeland, clinical assistant professor in the School of Social Work, Boston University.

This event that represents cultural power also has the right to be told respectfully and correctly. Typically, this day of Emancipation in June 19, 1865 is the day where it all was finished; this is an inaccurate lesson that dismisses the upcoming struggles that African-Americans experienced as many were still enslaved for a long period of time. Many slave owners were forced to free their slaves by government officials by a physical intervention, even as the Union had superseded in the Civil War. This was a troubling aftermath in the state of Texas, and even to this day, this history has been barred in some schools throughout the U.S. There is still much active work to be done in making struggles, stories, and strength of the African-American community to be told, heard, and included in all circles.

In 2021, the Senate had declared Juneteenth as a national holiday, and Governor Newsom made a proclamation for the day of remembrance in the state of California. Anticipated events for the annual holiday have been well prepared and notified to the general public, creating that space for the African-American community and for folks to have the opportunity to see different forms of respect and enjoyment in solidarity.

Here are some local Juneteenth happening this upcoming weekend and next week:

Bakersfield:

• Juneteenth Festival 2023 - Bakersfield Tickets, Sat, Jun 17, 2023 at 2:00 PM | Eventbrite
• Juneteenth Open Mic ~ Music ~ Poetry ~ Hip Hop ~ Jazz ~ Vendors Needed Registration, Mon, Jun 19, 2023 at 5:00 PM | Eventbrite

Fresno:

• Juneteenth Open Mic ~ Music ~ Poetry ~ Hip Hop ~ Jazz ~ Vendors Needed Registration, Mon, Jun 19, 2023 at 5:00 PM | Eventbrite
• Feathers House of Comedy "Juneteenth Edition", The Rosé, Fresno, June 16 2023 | AllEvents.in
• Juneteenth Freedom Run/Walk – Saturday, June 17^th, 2023
• Fresno Juneteenth Celebration – A Family Affair

Reference: What Juneteenth Means to Me: a Photo Essay | BU Today | Boston University