For some, Juneteenth is a new holiday – the annual celebration of emancipation only became a federal holiday in 2021. But for Black Americans, it’s a celebration that began 158 years ago on June 19, 1865, when enslaved people in Texas were freed, two-and-a-half years after the Emancipation Proclamation. Juneteenth celebrations started in Texas the following year.
Charles Chambers, a long-time Salinas resident, says he didn’t grow up celebrating Juneteenth in West Virginia but learned about it when he moved to California – Juneteenth celebrations in Monterey County have happened regularly for at least two decades, he says. Now, there’s a new wave of energy behind organizing local Juneteenth festivities of all kinds – from music to food to movies.
Chambers says he’s glad younger generations are bringing Juneteenth back into the spotlight. “I don’t think it’s been celebrated for quite a while here in Salinas,” Chambers notes. “Hopefully it will continue and get stronger and better every year.”
Michael Ndubisi, a committee member of the Salinas Juneteenth Celebration Association, says to him, Juneteenth is “a celebration of Blackness.” Ndubisi says the first year of Salinas Juneteenth was an uphill battle to make arrangements and spread the word about a celebration many weren’t familiar with. Now in its third year, it’s gaining more recognition locally – Ndubisi says it’s both a celebration and an educational experience.
Juneteenth is also an independence day – perhaps a more honest one than July 4, which first took place in the context of slavery.
“When you celebrate liberty, and you celebrate life and liberty, all you’re saying is that you want to celebrate people having the right to be free,” Chambers says.
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.