For the fifth year in a row, the City of Olympia recognized Juneteenth by proclaiming Thursday, June 19, 2025, as a day of commemoration.
June 19, known as Juneteenth, has been celebrated by the Black community for more than 150 years as Emancipation Day, Freedom Day, and a symbol of liberation and resilience.
Former President Joe Biden signed a bill on June 17, 2021, officially making Juneteenth the 12th federal holiday.
Olympia's observance began in 2021 when the Women of Color in Leadership Movement and Media Island International, in partnership with the city, hosted the first Juneteenth celebration at Rebecca Howard Park — named after a pioneering 19th-century Black businesswoman who once lived in Olympia. The event marked a significant milestone in the city's efforts to honor Black history and culture in public spaces.
This year's Juneteenth celebration will again take place at Rebecca Howard Park on Saturday, June 21, from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.. It will feature performances, presentations and a community marketplace showcasing Black-owned businesses.
At a city council meeting on Tuesday, June 17, Women of Color in Leadership Movement Executive Director and founder Shawna Hawk reflected on the symbolism of the Juneteenth celebration and the continued development of the park.
"I want to emphasize the importance of the marketplace. It is not just a market. It symbolizes the slaves would have one day off, and it usually would be a Sunday — (this) would be a time where they could share their goods, they could gather, they could socialize and feel free," Hawk said. "The symbology of us having the marketplace is to honor that and to understand that that is a gathering and good times for Black folks."
She stressed the park and its activities are more than symbolic. They are educational spaces for healing resilience, and collective action.
"This is a catalyst, not just for the park's development, but also moving forward with the conversations and studies on reparations," Hawk said.
Hawk also shared a glimpse of a long-term vision for Rebecca Howard Park as a space that honors, resilience, peace and healing. She noted that Kellie Braseth, Olympia's Strategic and Communications Director, shares that vision, including implementing a genealogical research component as part of the of the park's educational piece.
Hawks went on to highlight the deeper meaning behind Juneteenth, which is rooted in the memory of the people whose lives were lost to racial violence in recent years — Breonna Taylor, Sandra Bland, Trayvon Martin, and many others.
"The red symbolizes the blood and sacrifice, the black our skin, the green the Earth we have always cared for. We have always been stewards of the land. We are a part of the environment," Hawk said.
Mayor Dontae Payne described Juneteenth as both a celebration and a time of remembrance. He emphasized its connection to ongoing disparities rooted in the legacy of slavery.
"We released 4 million people and gave them nothing," he said, adding that the city's conversations about reparations are an important step toward addressing those generational harms.
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wolfmanner
Not everyone is celebrating this crap.
Wednesday, June 18 Report this
Honestyandrealityguy
Such an odd holiday. Do people know and understand that the first legal slave owner was a black man, Anthony Johnson. His slave was black. He went to court to be declared "owner". He then bought and sold slaves to friends and family, including whites. He was Democrat.
Took the north 10 years to get rid of slavery.
300,000 whites and 20,000 blacks from the north gave their lives to get rid of slavery and humble the Democrats involved.
I have often wondered if their heirs were entitled to reparations. And, I understand that Obama's ancestors were slave owners too.
Hmmm. History????
Wednesday, June 18 Report this
AmberRolleMackey
Due to an illegal and unethical ban I will be unable stranded at home. A modern day slave. Enslaved in my own land in my own country. Never from Africa. But Native indigenous black Americans. Enslaved by white supremacy. Doing Paramilitary ENSLAVEMENT TORTURE OPERATIONs on innocent black women in their own homes. Criminal syndicates protected by white supremacy police and too often the same tax paid corrupt police, sheriff and FBI agents- working with Derrick Sanders.
I pray for you Derrick Sanders to be IMPRISONED for life, for your heartless slander, of an innocent, strong, honorable black woman, standing up to HORRIFIC TORTURE AND ENSLAVEMENT. And for allowing these horrific crimes against humanity to continue. Giving impunity to known serial rapist, killers and trafficking slaves. Enslaved and BRUTALLY tortured without consent or control in their own homes by white supremacy clan members in this area. Slandered as sexually immortal and mentally ill when they try to report these horrific crimes. Innocent black women abused, enslaved and tortured in their own home, just for existing. Enslaved and exploited for profit and entertainment by mysogynist, racist psychopaths. I have been brutally tortured in my own home by these criminal syndicates for being witnesses to police corruption. I HAVE BEEN MERCILESSLY AND RELENTLESSLY TORTURED AND ENSLAVED. Slavery was never justified or abolished. My highly educated, PhD professor, military and police family NEVER celebrated such a farse holiday. We are still slaves. Literally tortured in our own homes by white supremacy supporters, modern day clan members, satanic mafia Networks, criminal syndicates, community hate groups and gestapo nieghbors. Leave our land terrorist. Leave my Home invader.
Wednesday, June 18 Report this
TeeMCee2
Honestyandrealityguy is not too honest and is dilutional, and absolutely not in touch with reality. He reveals that people like him are threatened and uncomfortable with other ethnic celebrations and will make up lies to attempt to distract. The only dummies that believe his lies are the usual folks that know absolutely nothing about American history and Black American history in particular. People like this guy is incapable of critical thinking skills nor have the aptitude to actually read and understand the history of this country. He has no idea who created generational slavery in this country let alone what it means. So buddy just stop the same old racist playbook and being so scarred all the time. You are embarrassing.
Thursday, June 19 Report this
Southsoundguy
Yoooo look out boatyard, you got competition.
Thursday, June 19 Report this
Arete
“Whenever I hear anyone arguing for slavery, I feel a strong impulse to see it tried on him personally.” —Abraham Lincoln
Thursday, June 19 Report this
Snevets
I look forward to celebrating with my fellow human beings on such an historic day.
Thursday, June 19 Report this
Boatyarddog
Really Telling WHATS in our very inclusive community, Some Rightwing Nutjobs, Hate preachers, but mostly Very Inclusive Diversified GOOD People. We KNOW Who the Haters and slanderers are. Grow up little ones, join the Big Peoples table. They THINK they have influence, they are WAY out numbered in this community.
Thursday, June 19 Report this
Boatyarddog
SSPOTATOHEAD( aka SS GUY) you really should get a Woman to show you some goodness and what it means to be a productive member in society. Ypu SUCJ a bore.
Thursday, June 19 Report this
AmberRolleMackey
I am an INTERFAITH constitutionalist, native indigenous American, with a "black" (as colonial legal STATUS) native American mother- who was a modern day slave. I pray for all the slaves in AMERIKKKA and worldwide. Those still being brutally tortured, raped and HELD in servitude, in prison, jail and THEIR OWN HOMES.
As a so called black (as colonial legal STATUS) native indigenous American- I am offended by this farce holiday- JUNETEENTH. And this picture of our Oly mayor with fake BLM holding an African flag. My black family were never from Africa and my ancestors have been in America for thousands of years. Our ancestors ancient artifacts hidden in the Grand Canyon and elsewhere in North and south America. Our rich culture and ancestry stolen by racist, globalist masons- hired assassins and white, indentured servants- who were actually the ones who "arrived on slave ships". THAT IS WHERE THE FALSE STORY OF US BEING FROM AFRICA CAME FROM. A toxic game of DEFLECT, REJECT, PROJECT, caused by white fragility and white insecurities. Both, the white globalist masons in America and the ones in Europe BEING ON THE SAME SIDE (during the revolutionary war and the civil war). With WHITE SUPREMACY- ACTUALLY fighting the Black ROYALS over land in America and Europe. Who were Ruling areas worldwide, in America, Europe, Germany, Asia, etc. Black ROYALS of Nubian heritage. Ruling Kush in both Africa and Kush in Asia. This is where racism and white supremacy globalist ideals originated. A land grab and obscurity of History. Stealing Our land, heritage, ancestry, identity and even last names. My last name MACKEY- was originally a Gaelic BLACK Royal family name, that shared land rights in America with Native indigenous tribes of the name family bloodline. [Mack is associated with Mackinac Island, which has a Native American history and name, Michilimackinac, meaning "Place of the Great Turtle" according to Mackinac Island. The name Mackinac itself is derived from the Anishinaabek language] The brothers, who founded the VOLVO/MACK truck co. were cira 1800 settlers, who STOLE my family name, ancestry and identity. Colonist, commiting genocide stole bloodline names of slaves. Ritually abused, tortured and PUBLICLY raped, systematically. Black indigenous native Americans, taken out of their own homes in America, into captivity had their last names given to the slave owner families. Because black royal tribes in America named the land after the family who OWNED THE LAND. MACK for example. The colonists, took the NAMES OF THE BLACK ROYALS WHO OWN LAND IN AMERICA, GERMANY AND ABROAD.
Why does this matter now??? Because, I am still enslaved and BRUTALLY tortured, in a Paramilitary ENSLAVEMENT TORTURE OPERATIONs in my own home, on my own land. While white and black ALIKE pretend slavery has ended. Slandered by my own public police and military family. Taken into captivity as a child by: My brother ROBERT ANTHONY ROLLEs Uncle and biological dad Willie Rolle, police chief AMANDA ROLLE and the white supremacy, satanic mafia family of rapper Christopher A Taylor, Moustapha Ba and Katie Dowell. This is why I protest. As a constitutionalist, it is PATRIOTIC to stand up against TYRANNY. To stand up against historical lies. REMEDIAL EDUCATED antics in government, politics and policy enforcement.
Mayor Dontae Payne, Oly police department, Sheriff Derrick Sanders and the Lacey Chief police have all received DETAILS of my horrific torture enslavement ostracism solitary confined circumstances and refused to stop the perpetrators of these criminal hate crimes. And to-- Mayor Payne, your "reparations" homeownership loan is just that, a LOAN. FOR A HOME ON STOLEN LAND WE ALREADY OWN. Shame on you Dontae Payne, for participation in these antics and your shameless collusion in horrific crimes against humanity.
Thursday, June 19 Report this
ViaLocal
TeeMCee2 - DWWWWAAAAMN, I'm impressed by how well you shut down that nonsense! Thank you!
Friday, June 20 Report this