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City of Auburn Hosting First Juneteenth Celebration on June 18
AUBURN, WA – The City of Auburn is pleased to announce our newest community festival. All are invited to Auburn’s Juneteenth Festival that will be held at Les Gove Park, 910 9th St SE Auburn, WA from 12 – 5 PM. The festival is being organized by a community committee in partnership with the City’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion initiative Inclusive Auburn. This year’s theme will be “Family Reunion.”
The family reunion theme honors the African American family reunions that date back to Emancipation. Former slaves would place “Information Wanted” advertisements in newspapers in search of family. The Great Migration, between 1915-1940, of nearly four million African Americans from the South to the North, would greatly inspire family reunions. During these gatherings, extended family was significant, as families were separated, and new kinship ties were formed in bondage. This family tradition became a tangible symbol of memory and resilience that endured slavery. Today, African American family reunions continue as an intergenerational celebration of community, fellowship, and heritage.
Juneteenth is an annual holiday commemorating the end of slavery in the United States. The celebration will feature live music, food trucks, inflatable rides for the kids to enjoy, vendors, DJs, spoken word, giveaways and opportunities to support Black-owned businesses.
Applications are still being accepted for vendors. If you or your business is interested in participating in the event please contact Brenda Goodson-Moore, City of Auburn Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Program Manager at 253-931-3041 or via email at bmgoodson-moore@auburnwa.gov.
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In 2021, the US Congress passed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act establishing June 19 as Juneteenth National Independence Day and making the day a federal holiday commemorating the end of slavery in the United States. The Act was signed into law by President Biden on June 17, 2021.
The origins of Juneteenth date back to June 19, 1865 when Major General Gordon Granger announced in Galveston, Texas, the end of slavery in accordance with President Abraham Lincoln's 1863 Emancipation Proclamation. The celebrations that followed the reading of the proclamation by General Gordon Granger began a tradition that has lasted for over one hundred and fifty years, and today is hosted in cities across America and beyond.
On July 15, 2019, the City Council soundly approved Resolution #5427 Inclusive Auburn Initiative to accomplish the following goals:
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Eliminate systemic causes of disparities, racial and otherwise, in the City of Auburn
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Promote inclusion and create opportunities for full participation for every resident and business in the City of Auburn
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Reduce, and eventually eliminate, disparities of outcomes in our community
The City of Auburn has since embarked on training designed to help us address systemic barriers and elevate opportunities within the City by interweaving equity and inclusion tools throughout our operations knowing that what we begin now will have lasting impacts in our community and beyond.
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