SAN DIEGO — The City of San Diego honored Juneteenth on Monday, June 19 to celebrate the emancipation of enslaved African Americans.
In 2021, Juneteenth finally became a federal holiday, but the Black community has been commemorating it for years.
At the Fourth District Senior Resource Center, a celebration to commemorate the day was filled with hundreds of people honoring their Black roots.
The Executive Director of the senior center says she has been hosting a celebration for 27 years to ensure their deep roots are never forgotten.
“That is what Juneteenth is about, intergenerational, education, health, wellness, games and speeches,” said Rosemary Pope.
San Diego Mayor and city council members attended the event for the proclamation.
Mayor Gloria says he and the city strive to honor this important moment in American history and reaffirms its commitment to addressing historic racial inequities in the city. He says it’s important to reflect Monday but will continue to address community inequities and implement initiatives approved by the city council.
“What I expect that you'll start seeing is a change in the way we invest in our communities. Trying to not only serve all neighborhoods well, but take into consideration historic inequities that have allowed communities like this one [Encanto] that lack park space, to have dirt roads still, to have neighborhoods in communities without any sidewalks, and that is the manifestation of historic inequities that we're now trying to address,” said Gloria.
Monday's celebration included cultural performances and food.
Watch Related: Juneteenth celebrations feature more than one flag (Jun 16, 2023)