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Juneteenth events around the San Francisco Bay Area

By Ryan Moran
Updated  June 15, 2021 5:58am PDT
Holidays
KTVU FOX 2
article

(KTVU FOX 2)

OAKLAND, Calif. - This Friday is Juneteenth, an annual celebration of the official end of slavery in the United States. With protests against police brutality and racial injustice happening around the nation, this year's commemoration has reached a new level of significance. 

It was on June 19, 1865, that Union Gen. Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas and told enslaved African-Americans the Civil War had ended and they were free. 

One hundred and fifty-five years later and people across the country continue to gather to celebrate the Juneteenth, which is a portmanteau of June and nineteenth.

Now, with nationwide protests following the death of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and other African-Americans, the celebration this year may resonate with people on a different level. 

There are numerous Juneteenth celebrations taking place around the Bay Area. Some of the events will be in person, while others will be held virtually. due to concerns about the coronavirus. 

Antioch

Let Freedom Ring -- Juneteenth Peace Walk, Arts & Music

  • Where: Thomas Gaines Land (6th and A streets)
  • When: Friday, June 19; 11 a.m - 3 p.m.

Oakland

An Unapologetic Juneteenth Celebration

  • Where: Mosswood Park
  • When: Saturday, June 20; 2-5 p.m.

Lake Merritt Amphitheater Juneteenth Celebration and Fundraiser 

  • Where: Lake Merritt Amphitheater
  • When: Friday, June 19; 4-7 p.m.

Juneteenth Youth March & Rally

Justice for Juneteenth at Lake Merritt

  • Across from Knoll Park
  • Friday, June 19; 5 p.m.

Black Mass: A Juneteenth Gathering

  • Where: Lake Merritt Amphitheater
  • When: Friday, June 19; 7 p.m.

Juneteenth West Coast Port Shutdown

  • Where: Car caravan; SSA Terminal at 10 a.m. and Oscar Grant Plaza at 1 p.m.
  • When: Friday, June 19; 10 a.m. and 1 p.m.

San Francisco

Swim Out in solidarity with Black Lives Matter

  • Where: Aquatic Park
  • When: Friday, June 19 at 5:30 p.m.

SantaS Clara

Freedom Day: Still Marching for Freedom

  • Where: Santa Clara University
  • When: Friday, June 19; 3-5 p.m.

Santa Rosa

Juneteenth Festival at Pioneer Park

  • Where: Pioneer Park
  • When: Friday, June 19; 12-6 p.m.

Virtual

Harlem of the West: The San Francisco Fillmore Jazz Era

Juneteenth Theatre Project's "Polar Bears, Black Boys & Prairie Fringed Orchids": Live reading of the new Vincent Terrell Durham play

11th Annual Fallen Heroes, Rising Stars: A Juneteenth Celebration through Dance