Culture
Juneteenth 2011: California Celebrates
By Brian Jarvis, San Francisco.
Families in Oakland and San Francisco reveled in a weekend of culture, history, and entertainment.
Members of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 10 lead the charge from City Hall to the Fillmore District. The parade kicked off the 61st Annual San Francisco Juneteenth Festival on Saturday, June 18. Front row, from left: Kavern Dixon, of Hayward; Lorie Marshall, of Hayward; Sabrina Giles of Oakland; and command caller Ed Thomas of Oakland.
Each year, Juneteenth brings together the largest gathering of African-Americans in all of Northern California. Its local history dates back to the early 1950s, when Dr. Wesley Johnson Sr. began inviting blacks in the Bay Area for cocktails near his famed Texas Playhouse on Fillmore Street.
The June 19th tradition commemorating the abolition of slavery soon grew to include a parade, in which future mayor Willie Brown joined the doctor — riding white horses, no less — to lead the procession. This year, the multicultural festivities included musical performances, runway modeling, car shows, dance-offs, storytelling, street vendors and free admission to select museums.”
Links mentioned in this article:
International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 10
Booker T. Washington Community Service Center
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