King County is proud to partner with Gifts of Hope to bring to the community its “Juneteenth Family Reunion.”
The community celebration will be held on Sunday, June 11, 2023 from noon to 4:30 p.m. at the Smilow Rainier Vista Boys & Girls Club, 4520 MLK Jr. Way S., Seattle, WA 98108.
In November 2020, the King County Council voted to make Juneteenth a paid holiday for employees beginning in 2022.
Juneteenth commemorates June 19, 1865, when the enslaved people of African descent in Galveston, Texas, were told – more than two years after President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation – they were free people. Even though people continued to be held in slavery after that date, June 19 is the day the African American community has historically observed as the end of legal slavery in this country. It has been celebrated with events and activities in the week leading up to the holiday.
Please consider this as your invitation to join the community in celebration of Juneteenth with music, food, and vendors featuring local Black businesses. This event also includes a free vaccination and dental clinic. This family-friendly celebration will include a kids play zone and a powerful and enlightening educational experience through Mr. Delbert Richardson’s Traveling African American Museum.
Our partner this year, Gifts of Hope is a community-based organization serving youth and families with resources and opportunities to transform lives. This nonprofit is focused on rebuilding communities through impactful programs and assistance such as back-to-school assistance, rental assistance, transitional programs for at-risk youth, and more. Learn more about their programs at their website givinggiftsofhope.org.
Each of us can honor Juneteenth in our own way, from attending a Juneteenth event, donating time to volunteer, or dedicating time to learn more about Juneteenth and the continued legacy of slavery in this country.
