Carson has become the latest city to make Juneteenth an official government holiday.
Under a resolution, which the City Council approved last week, Juneteenth will be a paid holiday for city employees moving forward. The body last year voted unanimously to start the process of making it a city holiday, per a Friday press release.
Juneteenth commemorates June 19, 1865, the day on which the last enslaved Black people in America learned of their freedom. The former slaves in Galveston, Texas, larned of their freedom two years after the Emancipation Proclamation. Though the day has long been celebrated within Black communities, President Joe Biden made Juneteenth a federal holiday last year.
“As we honor Juneteenth, we recommit to educating ourselves on this horrendous chapter in our nation’s history,” Carson Mayor Lula Davis-Holmes said in a statement. “We ensure that we can learn from the mistakes of our past for the sake of future generations.”
Carson held its first Juneteenth celebration 22 years ago, which city officials say made it one of the first towns to do so. But it isn’t the very first public agency to make Juneteenth a government holiday.
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti signed a resolution to do so just last week as well, nearly two years after the Los Angeles City Council began that process.
“We need every Angeleno to learn the full story of our past, no matter the ugliness of some of its chapters,” Mayor Eric Garcetti said on Monday, June 6, “and that means recognizing the lasting legacy of slavery in our country,”
The Redondo Beach Unified School District earlier this year made Juneteenth a paid holiday for classified employees.
Still, the news of Carson joining the ranks government institution to make Juneteenth an official holiday continues the increasing renowned of the celebration, two years after the nation became more away of systemically racist injustices in the wake of George Floyd’s murder.
“While we can’t dislodge structural racism overnight, it’s our responsibility as a city to acknowledge hard truths and advance reforms,” Garcetti said, “and by declaring Juneteenth an official holiday, we’re making it clear that the ending of slavery should be remembered as a watershed moment in American history.”
Carson’s move to honor the holiday came a little less than two weeks for Juneteenth, during which multipe celebrations are planned.
But one notable event will be misssing. One of the biggest local Juneteenth traditions over the past two years – a celebrations at Bruce’s Beach Park in Manhattan Beach – won’t happen this time around after the City Council said the park, close to neighborhoods, could no longer hold permitted events.
But the Southland will still celebrate Juneteenth’s 157th anniversary on Sunday, June 19.
Carson’s Juneteenth Rhythm and Blues celebration will take place from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, June 18, at Mills Park, 1340 E. Dimondale Drive. The event will feature live music from The Calloway Brothers – formerly of the band Midnight Star – Greg Rose and the Greg Rose Orchestra and more.
There will also be a Roll Bounce car show, a vendors village and a teen fun zone. Extra parking will be at Curtiss Middle School.
LA County Parks and Recreation, along with community organizations, will also host a handful of free events on Saturday, at parks in different areas countywide, including:
- From 2 to 6 pm at El Cariso Park, 13100 Hubbard St., Sylmar.
- From 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. at Jackie Robinson Park, 8773 E. Avenue R, Sun Village (near Palmdale).
- From 1 to 6 p.m. at Dalton Park, 18867 E. Armstead St., Azusa.
- From 4 to 6 p.m. at Earvin Magic Johnson Park, 905 E. El Segundo Blvd., Los Angeles.
They’ll feature musical performances, speakers, wellness activities, resource fairs, artist experiences, hands-on children’s activities and more.
Here are some other places to celebrate Juneteenth weekend around the region:
Juneteenth Community Tennis Event: 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, June 18, at Edward Vincent Jr. Park, 700 Warren Lane, Inglewood, hosted by the US Tennis Association of Southern California and the 40 Love Foundation. Celebrate the rich history of Juneteenth, Black history and the impact of the Black community in the world of tennis and beyond. There will be tennis activities for adults and children, food, music and exhibitions.
Gardena’s Juneteenth celebration: 2 to 6 p.m. Saturday, June 18, at the City Hall complex, 1670 W. 162nd St., will have cultural and educational performances, vendors, food, live music and dancing.
Taste of Compton, A Juneteenth Celebration: From 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, June 18, at the NHS Center for Sustainable Communities, 1051 W. Rosecrans Ave., Compton, hosted by the Neighborhood Housing Services of LA County. There will be arts and crafts, live music, housing and small business workshops.
Juneteenth Pickleball Round Robin: From 9 a.m. to noon at Darby Park, 3400 W. Arbor Vitae St., Inglewood, hosted by the Inglewood Pickleball Foundation. Players will rotate partners and opponents. Registration is $30; a portion of proceeds will go to the foundation. Register on Eventbrite.
Black in the Valley Juneteenth community celebration: From 1 to 6 p.m. Saturday, June 18, at Woodley Park, 6350 Woodley Ave., Van Nuys. There will be music, live entertainment, a vendor marketplace, kids’ activities, giveaways, raffles and scholarships.
Rooted in Crenshaw-Family Strength and Unity 2nd Annual Juneteenth Unifest: From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, June 18, at the Crenshaw Family YMCA, 3820 Santa Rosalia Drive, Los Angeles. There will be a mural ribbon cutting, live performances, financial literacy workshops, games, presentations, Black-owned vendors, hair braiding and more. Recommended parking is on Marlton Avenue.
Juneteenth Art and Culture Festival: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday, June 19, at Westchester Park, 7000 W. Manchester Ave., Los Angeles, hosted by the LA Black History Month Festival. There will be live performances, African drumming, an African marketplace, books, poetry, a children’s art space, a panel discussion and food.
Long Beach’s celebration on Saturday at Rainbow Lagoon Park is already sold out with no tickets available the day of.