LYNNWOOD — Community members across Snohomish County gathered to celebrate Juneteenth on Thursday, a holiday marking the end of slavery in the United States.
Hundreds attended events in Lynnwood and Edmonds on Thursday morning, sharing food and songs alongside friends and neighbors.
Juneteenth has been celebrated since 1866 but wasn’t designated as a federal holiday until 2021. It celebrates June 19, 1865, when Union soldiers arrived in Galveston, Texas, after the end of the Civil War and issued an order declaring that enslaved people in the state were free.
For DanVonique Bletson-Reed, the president of the Snohomish County Black Heritage Committee, the holiday is a day of reflection, celebration and education, she said Thursday in Lynnwood.
“Just like those people who we’re celebrating, for people who are struggling today, there’s hope they can make it too,” Bletson-Reed said. “We’re here to lift up their arms as we celebrate our ancestors and we tell our stories and we remember.”
Lynnwood’s event, the third annual Juneteenth celebration in the city, was organized by local nonprofit Project Girl, which provides support programs to middle and high school girls in the area.
“It’s all about community, it’s all about fellowship, it’s all about fun, and providing an aspect where our community of Lynnwood can feel a sense of pride for Juneteenth,” Project Girl CEO Olympia Edwards said.
In Edmonds, dozens gathered along the city’s waterfront to listen to songs, speeches and performances. William Lucket and JJ performed a spoken word song, Erie Darby-Wheeler also sang and U.S. Rep. Rick Larsen spoke at the event.
“We need to stand in solidarity with everyone in our community who is afraid, because we don’t have to let them be afraid,” Larsen said. “We can show them that we aren’t afraid, that we are standing up, and we’re going to celebrate what hope and resiliency is through the example set by many Black Americans who are celebrating Juneteenth.”
Other Juneteenth events across the county are scheduled for the weekend. One is scheduled for 11 a.m. Saturday at 6705 Puget Park Drive in unincorporated Snohomish County, another will take place from noon to 4 p.m. at 1 Galaxy Way in Monroe and a third will be held 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday at 23300 58th Ave. West in Mountlake Terrace.
Will Geschke: 425-339-3443; william.geschke@heraldnet.com; X: @willgeschke.
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