EVERETT, JUNE 18: “Juneteenth is more than a one-day celebration”, DeLon Lewis, Program Specialist at the Everett Community College Office of Global Engagement and Social Justice says. “Juneteenth has grown so much. It’s kind of grown so much that it’s kind of become more of a season than just a (single) holiday. Juneteenth celebrations go all the way up until the Fourth of July,” DeLon describes.
Juneteenth, also known as Freedom Day or Emancipation Day, commemorates the end of slavery in the United States. It marks the day on June 19th, 1865, when the last enslaved African Americans in Texas were informed of their freedom, over two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was issued by President Abraham Lincoln.
Juneteenth was officially declared a federal holiday in the United States on June 17, 2021, when President Joe Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act into law. The state of Texas declared Juneteenth a state holiday in 1979 where it was celebrated for over a century by local communities in the Lone Star State.
Today at 3 p.m., the Snohomish County Office of Social Justice (OSJ) hosts a Juneteenth flag-raising celebration at the County office complex, 3000 Rockefeller Ave., in Everett on the Oakes Avenue side of campus near the Carnegie Resource Center.
Lewis is one of the event speakers today and gave a small preview of his speech to EverettPost.com, saying, “Juneteenth for me…it’s a holiday. I think every holiday gives us a chance to reflect on history. And how that affects us today. So it definitely makes me think of freedom.”
Lewis continues, “Slavery happened in America from the time of the colonization of the states back in the 1400s through the 1700s. Civil War happened in the 1800s but ended in 1863 of January. That’s what I want people to think about. So, the first Juneteenth on June 19, 1865, for about two and a half years, nobody said anything to those slaves in Galveston, Texas, that they were to be free. It just makes me think about people being silenced and not standing up for what is right, you know? If you see something wrong to speak up. So in the city of Galveston–I don’t just think about Juneteenth–I think about those two years that went by when the people who did know the Civil War ended, didn’t choose to eradicate slavery and kept those people on those plantations, you know, for a whole two and a half years. And mind you, Galveston, Texas, is not like so small a town by the side of the road at the time, Galveston was just as big as Houston compared to today’s time, one of the biggest cities in Texas. So we need to think about that.”
Organizers say today’s event runs from 3–4 p.m. and will feature speeches by Lewis and other local leaders. All are welcome to attend and celebrate with the community but as a reminder, Snohomish County offices will be closed Friday, June 19, in recognition of the Juneteenth holiday.
If you can’t attend today’s event, celebrants are invited to attend Juneteenth events tomorrow and Saturday across Snohomish County.
Cedar Valley Community School and Project Girl Mentoring host the Lynnwood Juneteenth “Freedom Festival”, Friday June 19 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The “Freedom Festival” on Juneteenth is held at Cedar Valley Community School Gym & Playfields, 19200 56th Ave W, Lynnwood.
Organizers say an opening ceremony will kick off at 10 a.m. featuring speeches from local leaders and community members. Attendance is free and the celebration will include live music, dance performances, and spoken word poetry that honor African American culture and history.
It will include a health fair with health screenings, wellness information, fitness demonstrations, and resources to support a healthy lifestyle. Local healthcare providers and wellness experts will be on hand to offer valuable insights and services.
There will be a variety of activities for families and children, including face painting, games, arts and crafts as well as food and vendors.
Edmonds Waterfront Center hosts “Juneteenth at The Beach” Friday June 19 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
“Juneteenth at The Beach” is presented by Lift Every Voice Legacy and hosted by the Edmonds Waterfront Center, at 220 Railroad Ave., Edmonds.
Admission is free and the event will include a screening of an important civil rights documentary, “John Lewis: Good Trouble”, about the life, leadership and activism of civil-rights leader turned U.S. Congressman, John Lewis.
Organizers also encourage “Juneteenth at The Beach” attendees to bring packaged food for a food drive to benefit the Edmonds Food Bank.
There will be activities for all ages, including a children’s book reading room and arts and crafts sponsored by Molina Healthcare, Sno-Isle Libraries, Edmonds Waterfront Center, Edmonds Bookshop, Edmonds Pride, and Planet Mynd Play Lab.
Saturday June 20, the NAACP Snohomish County hosts the Juneteenth Community Celebration at Martha Lake County Park in Lynnwood from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Organizers encourage all celebrants to attend at 16300 E. Shore Drive in Lynnwood, suggesting you bring blankets, lawn chairs, games, and a good appetite!
NAACP Snohomish County describes the event as a day dedicated to honoring freedom, culture, community, and Black excellence. The annual celebration creates space for education, joy, reflection, and unity while commemorating the historical significance of Juneteenth, according to organizers.
The NAACP Snohomish County Juneteenth Community Celebration includes entertainment, line dancing, community organization vendors, food, and meaningful connection. Activities will include cards, dominoes, line dancing and a sweet potato pie contest, soul food and more.
To sign up for the sweet potato pie contest, click this link for more information.
Lewis suggests if you can’t attend one of the planned Juneteenth events, locally, you can always conduct your own Juneteenth celebration, “if you can’t make it, I’ll say, throw your own barbecue. That’s one of my favorite things about Juneteenth, we celebrate (however we can).” He advises, “Red is one of the main colors, so wear red (clothes) drink red (beverages), drink and eat red food. Barbecue, and you know, have something nice and drink with that as well if you can’t make it out of the house.”
For more historical perspective on Juneteenth commemorating the day 250,000 slaves were finally notified of their freedom in Galveston by Union Army Major General Gordon Granger, click here.