‘Our Independence Day’: King-Kennedy Board celebrates annual Juneteenth event
The president’s signing of legislation last week making Juneteenth a federal holiday brought extra excitement for many people who attended a decades-old celebration of the day in west Modesto on Saturday.
The King-Kennedy Center Board of Directors has celebrated Juneteenth, the day commemorating the end of slavery in the United States, for more than 40 years. Board President Deborah Sullivan said President Joe Biden creating the federal holiday on Thursday gave even greater weight to its history and importance.
“It’s bringing our African American community together,” Sullivan said.
Booths for more than 40 small businesses and nonprofit organizations were spread out across Martin Luther King Jr. Park, offering a variety of opportunities to become involved with the Black community and other minority groups in Stanislaus County.
Singers, praise dancers, poets and other performers entertained attendees throughout the afternoon. There was also a graduation ceremony to recognize the accomplishments of Black students. It included words from Wendy Byrd, president of the Modesto/Stanislaus NAACP, and Modesto City Schools Superintendent Sara Noguchi and board member John Ervin III.
Modesto Mayor Sue Zwahlen, interim Police Chief Brandon Gillespie, City Council members David Wright and Jenny Kenoyer and Stanislaus County Supervisor Terry Withrow, along with other local officials, also attended the daylong event..
Margie Lee, who was celebrating her 75th birthday in addition to Juneteenth, said she felt “elated” when she heard about Juneteenth’s federal recognition.
“For us, it’s our Independence Day,” Lee said. “It’s so important to acknowledge where we’ve come from and appreciate where we are today.”
Saturday’s event was an opportunity to celebrate how far the Black community has come over the decades, and Lee said she felt like everyone’s presence was a show of unity and solidarity.
Now that Juneteenth is a holiday, Lee said, a strong next step toward equality would be to fight for better voter protection for all Americans.
Many new voting laws, such as ones that restrict mail-in voting or require ID, disproportionately affect Black voters and other voters of color, according to critics of these laws and research centers including the Brennan Center for Justice at New York University.
Modesto resident Titiana Stovall, 28, said she believes recognizing Juneteenth is a step in the right direction, but more could be done to create progress for the Black community.
The past year has been largely about raising awareness when it comes to issues of racism and inequality, but now it’s time to create change, Stovall said. She often feels sidelined as a Black woman, and she feels prioritizing safety for all communities could be a way toward bridging that gap.
“It’s really important to think about how can we be safe in the world, in the place where we live, without bias,” Stovall said.
This story was originally published June 20, 2021 at 7:40 AM.
