WA's largest Juneteenth event in Tacoma highlights importance of economic freedom

Juneteenth celebrations from around the Sound

Today marks Juneteenth, a day dedicated to celebrating freedom across the nation. Communities throughout Washington state are commemorating this historic occasion, which signifies the emancipation of enslaved people in the United States.

TACOMA, Wash. - Juneteenth is all about celebrating freedom in the United States. Communities across Washington commemorate the federal holiday, which marks the day the last remaining enslaved Black Americans were set free in the U.S.

In Tacoma, an estimated 20,000 people filled Stewart Heights Park for an annual event, hosted by WayOut Kids. It’s the largest Juneteenth celebration in Washington state.

"The energy is wild! And I’m absolutely loving it," said Jackie Crawford, event vendor and owner of Generations Hair Salon.

"You can look around and you see all this beautiful blackness here. This is what it’s all about," said Leah Kirk, who attended the event with her family.

People of all backgrounds joined together to recognize the power, resilience, and liberation of Black Americans, while others attended the event to learn about the significance of the holiday. 

"It’s amazing! I love to see it. Black excellence. Everybody from everywhere pulling up," said attendee Mike Ford. 

In January 1863, President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, declaring all enslaved people in the rebelling states of the confederacy be set free. However, it wasn’t until after the Civil War that the last remaining 250,000 slaves in Galveston, Texas were informed of their freedom on June 19, 1865.

In May 2021, after calls for social justice and denouncing systemic racism, Washington state made Juneteenth a legal holiday to recognize the historic day. The following month, President Joe Biden signed a bill making it a federal holiday.

"Just really see how far we’ve come in spite of society trying to make it seem like we’re still stuck in certain times. There may be certain narratives that still exist, but I really think when we do things like this with greatness and expectation, to hold each other to a high standard, we really can see what we’re made of," said Kirk.

Back2Besa: Celebrating Juneteenth in WA

Today, we recognize Juneteenth, commemorating the end of slavery in the United States. This morning, Besa Gordon joined Good Day Seattle to talk about some of the events happening in western Washington.

Dozens of vendors sold goods and connected people to resources and services. As the largest Juneteenth celebration in the state, coordinators said the event helps create a path for Black businesses towards economic freedom.

"There’s a lot of statistics that shows that the Black dollar only stays in the community for a few hours. So, it’s important to support Black-owned businesses and just help each other level up," said Ford. "Black excellence. Black freedom."

"Believing in your gift, your talent, whatever that may be, believing in it and putting in the time and the work ethic into all of it. That, to me, is economic freedom and just putting it out there to serve the people," said Crawford. "It is giving us an opportunity with our businesses, to promote our businesses, to promote economic freedom."

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