SAN DIEGO — There were widespread Juneteenth celebrations across San Diego County honoring true freedom for all Americans on Friday. This year, following weeks of racial justice protests for the death of George Floyd, brought prominence to the once largely regional holiday.
Honking in honor of Juneteenth, cars cruised through historic Third Avenue of Chula Vista after first meeting at Southwestern College
"I couldn’t just sit at home. This had to be celebrated,” said retired college professor Angie Stewart.
Widely celebrated for the first time for many in America, Juneteenth or June 19 marks the day in 1865 where all Black slaves were finally free.
“This is important to celebrate because if one person isn’t free, none of us are free,” said Stewart, who used to teach Spanish at Southwestern College.
Participants in the Juneteenth Ally Awareness Car Caravan decorated their vehicles with balloons and "Black Lives Matter" signs as they drove across the county showing support.
One woman wrote on the side of her minivan in marker the words of a Langston Hughes poem: “O, Let America Be America Again, Let it be the dream it used to be."
It was a momentous day for 11-year-old Zachariah and his guardian Diane Edwards.
Zachariah said, “Everybody cares about each other, and we’re trying to support each other.”
Edwards, who works at Southwestern college, said it was important for her as a white parent to show up to the Juneteenth event for her Black son.
“The injustices happening to Black men in America - this isn’t theoretical - this is real life stuff,” Edwards said.
Some celebrated in Washington D.C. with a rally for racial equality. Duane Cummings made his voice heard on Juneteenth.
"This is not for emancipation. Obviously it’s a different day, but just recognizing the importance of what Black people have done in this country,” Cummings said.
In Ft. Worth Texas, 93-year-old Opal Lee walked 2.5 miles to symbolize the 2.5 years it took for slaves in Texas to know they were free. Lee sang and those walking with her sang “We shall overcome someday.”
The day brought Angie Stewart to tears.
“We need to respect that pain. I can’t imagine having that many years in slavery and then segregation and then this in 2020,” Stewart said.
As for how to celebrate, Kim Folsom, a San Diegan and serial tech entrepreneur, said anyone can support a Black-owned business.
“I want to do something, but I don’t know what to do, and there are a number of organizations,” Folsom said.
Folsom founded Founders First and is also a social impact investor. She said honoring Juneteenth goes beyond getting a day off work.
"If we don’t make some significant economic changes to provide liberty and freedom, we’re going to do this again. We keep repeating this cycle over and over again,” Folsom said.
In Balboa Park, Artists 4 Black Lives held a sit-in and sing in for Juneteenth near the World Beat Center. The event drew hundreds of people sitting and standing on the lawn while listening to songs and spoken word. The goal of the event was to take various talents in solidarity for true freedom for all.
RELATED: What is Juneteenth?