A crowd of approximately 100 people celebrated Juneteenth at Rebecca Howard Park in Olympia with a number of performances, food and shopping amid a backdrop of cool and wet weather on Saturday afternoon, June 21.
The event was hosted by The Women of Color in Leadership Movement and Media Island International, in partnership with the City of Olympia.
Shawna Hawk, founder of The Women of Color and Leadership Movement, said the group planned the event for about a year, and have already started looking at options for 2026.
“We’re doing the community outreach and letting folks know about the community building for the Black community,” Hawk said.
Juneteenth has been a nationally recognized federal holiday since 2021, but has been celebrated for more than 150 years. The holiday commemorates the end of slavery in the United States.
For Hawk, Juneteenth is an opportunity to support the Black community.
“It’s an opportunity to uplift Black people, for people to feel the freedom, and to support Black businesses and organizations to make sure they get prosperity and opportunities to shine,” Hawk said.
Performers at the event included DJ Lady Hawk, the Buffalo Soldiers and Zambuku Marimba Ensemble.
Geordan Newbill is the chief executive officer and program director of the Buffalo Soldiers of Seattle. The Buffalo Soldiers were African American U. S. Army units.
“Juneteenth marks this country’s second Independence Day,” Newbill said. “It’s not Black history, it’s American history. It’s not just one part of history that’s separated from the rest of history in this nation, it’s all together.”
In addition to the performances, several Black-owned businesses were at the event selling goods ranging from clothes and art to mandala drums.
Tiffany Miller is the owner of Finnese4U Boutique, which just celebrated its seventh year of business. She said she was celebrating “freedom” and “everything Black.”
Another business featured at the celebration was The Mustard Seed, an international trading post based in Portland.
Owner Assouan Gayla said the business sells items, including Tibetan singing bowls, African drums and Bohemian clothing.
“Juneteenth is an acknowledgement of freedom, peace, moving forward, happiness and optimism,” Gayla said.
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AmberRolleMackey
Where did this pan African flag come from and when? That pan African flag and JUNETEENTH traditions, like kawanza have NOTHING to do with the native indigenous black people enslaved on their own land here in America.
It was only after Black Wallstreet genocide and the Black Renaissance in the 20's did pan African rhetoric become popular.
Cue the Marcus Garvey pan African flag. Who? An Independent thinking indigenous native black American? No.
An IMMIGRATED black-African JAMAICAN... LIKE THE ROLLEs...LOL. ya feel me???
It's true that black people sold out their own familes for profit, and prestige.
Black families selling other black people and aligning themselves with the global agenda of white supremacy.
Acting as KKK in black face partners in crimes with white settlers committing genocide
How did the Ancient black Royals get ERASED from history? The same way my Life has been erased...
Enslaved, BRUTALLY tortured, oppressed and entrapped by the Rolles- Robert Anthony Rolle- and Amanda Rolle.
By people doing nothing while genocide took place all around them.
To to really DO SOMETHING
To fight the situation
To battle the evil adversary
To defend yourself from these principalities and wickedness in public personas...
You would have to admit to these atrocities by people AMONG YOU- Your families, constituents, communities and entire society.
You would have to admit to these horrific biological and psychospiritual experiments on the population.
You would have to admit to obfuscation, usurping and GROSS manipulations of Our history... lies upon lies upon lies.
You would have to admit collusion in horrific crimes against humanity.
And you would have to admit to these crimes being FUNDED by the public.
Which no one working with the public wants to do.
(Like sheriff Derrick Sanders using public funding to get a Dodge race car for him and his mommy)
Society is OWNED by white supremacy supporters.
And WE THE PEOPLE have the Right to defend ourselves against whoever
puts Us in slavery. And so it is.
Sunday, June 22 Report this
wolfmanner
Amber needs some real help. Shakes my head at such stupidity.
Monday, June 23 Report this
Snevets
Sounds like it was a good day for the celebration. I look forward to next year.
Monday, June 23 Report this
Olywelcomesall
It was a greeting celebration and learning opportunity. It helped me learn more about the origin story for Juneteenth, Buffalo Soldiers and ongoing work by local black leaders. Also appreciated the information presented about the future development of the park into an even better place for gatherings and learning events. Architect was present to help us understand key features and provide our own perspectives about what it could mean for the neighborhood. Thank you to The Women of Color and Leadership Movement and Media Island for leading the way for this event. Thank you to all who participated.
Tuesday, June 24 Report this