Hundreds of people gathered in Vance Park in Gresham on Friday to celebrate Juneteenth, the holiday that commemorates the end of slavery in the United States.
Despite the mid-June heat, attendees came together from across the region. For many, the holiday served as a joyous reminder of the resolve among Black Americans who come together to build community, remember their history and chart a path forward.
“It feels like freedom,” said Anisa Ali, who works for a social services nonprofit. “It feels like we still have hope. We still have roots. We’re creating them for not only ourselves but for our children and the future generation.”
Juneteenth celebrates the day in 1865 when, more than two years after President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation, word finally reached the last enslaved people in Galveston, Texas, that they were free.
Juneteenth only recently became a state and federal holiday. This weekend, people throughout the Pacific Northwest came together for parades, block parties, bike rides and even a rodeo.
The event in Gresham was hosted by Multnomah County REACH, a government health program. Attendees hugged their friends, danced to R&B music, lounged in lawn chairs and enjoyed a stepping and dancing performance from Rose City Pep Academy.
They walked among vendors who sold clothes, food and plants and raised awareness for a wide range of issues. Children played on a playground, kicked soccer balls, got haircuts and ate free barbecue: ribs, salmon, beans, greens and more.
For Sudi Nur, a manager with the Center for African Immigrants and Refugees Organization, the gathering was special: “It means community. It means love.”
“A lot of the time, we don’t have spaces where you feel like you belong,” said Nur. “Just having something that is dedicated today, where all the history and everything to have to celebrate is an amazing day.”
Many consider Juneteenth an opportunity to mark progress for Black communities. Still, the celebrations come at a pivotal moment.
An April U.S. Supreme Court ruling weakened the landmark Voting Rights Act by holding that Louisiana lawmakers broke the law when they used race to help draw up a voting map for a majority-Black district. Critics contend the ruling could suppress Black political power by allowing Republicans to gerrymander voting districts to maintain power in Congress.
But in Gresham — one of Oregon’s most racially diverse areas — the ruling wasn’t dominating conversations. Instead, people like Charles Hysaw, a retired City Hall receptionist, were using the occasion to pass down lessons to the younger generation.
“Freedom is just one of those things you don’t take for granted,” he said.
Standing beside Hysaw was his grandson.
“Today’s been really special to me because my grandpa brought me here, brought me out of the house, and opened me up to a whole community that I didn’t know about,” said Isaiah Worthen. “I just feel like I’m a new person because I’m being opened up to new stuff that I never knew about.”
