SPOKANE, Wash. — Spokane residents gathered Friday at Riverfront Park to mark Juneteenth, the federal holiday commemorating the end of slavery in the United States, with live music, local vendors, Black-owned businesses and family activities along the north bank of the river.
The celebration, which has grown significantly from its earlier, smaller-scale observances in the city, drew community members of all backgrounds for a day of music, food, crafts and reflection.
City Council President Betsy Wilkerson opened the event with a proclamation and a message of unity.
“The word today should be we. We are here together to celebrate and let’s do that in a very joyous occasion,” Wilkerson said.
Wilkerson also spoke to the broader significance of the holiday for the African American community.
“Juneteenth really gives the African American community this time to celebrate all its accomplishments and to let the community and the world know what we contributed,” she said.
Juneteenth, observed annually on June 19, marks the day in 1865 when enslaved people in Galveston, Texas, learned of their freedom — more than two months after the Civil War ended. Congress designated it a federal holiday in 2021.
For those who missed Friday’s event, a second Juneteenth celebration is planned for Saturday at the MLK Community Center from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
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