Redding joins hundreds of communities across America this week in hosting festivities in celebration of Black freedom and culture.
Shasta County steps out for the Juneteenth holiday on Wednesday, June 19 on the downtown Market Street Promenade in Redding.
New this year is an evening concert with New Orleans style brass band MJ’s Brass Boppers and a traditional New Orleans-style second line parade, where people follow the band, dancing to the music.
The program also includes a vendor fair, along with presentations with community guest speakers and theatrical performances by local actors.
While a band is a notable addition to Redding’s annual Juneteenth fest, the most significant change this year is the new venue, according to community organizer Eddie McAllister, chairperson of the grassroots Shasta Coalition of African Americans for Community Health, Education and Empowerment group.
More:An African American holiday predating Juneteenth was nearly lost to history. It’s back.
The MLK Center and Old City Hall/Shasta County Arts Council hosted past Juneteenth events. But this year, the city is welcoming Juneteenth activities on the promenade, in the nucleus of Redding’s downtown. That “represents a shift in the cultural climate of Shasta County” and reflects a movement toward more inclusivity, McAllister said.
Planners of Redding’s Pride Parade and Festival, which is being hosted at the same downtown venue on June 22, echoed similar sentiments about the city opening its promenade to diverse celebrations.
Prance behind the band in a New Orleans-style ‘second line’
Juneteenth events begin at 3:30 p.m. outside the IOOF Hall at 1504 Market St. with music, vendor booths hosted by Black business owners and resource and education tables with free information. The educational program with guest speakers follows at 4:30 p.m. inside the IOOF Hall.
At 6 p.m., line up ― and dress up, if you wish ― for a New Orleans-style second line, where event attendees walk, dance, march, sing and otherwise revel as they strut behind MJ’s Brass Boppers brass band.
Black communities in Louisiana birthed the second line tradition, now a popular way to celebrate weddings, funerals and Mardi Gras, according to the New Orleans Tourist Board.
MJ’s Brass Boppers leader and founder, New Orleans-born Michael “M.J.” Jones, said he has no specific program planned for Redding’s Juneteenth concert. Instead, the music artist and his band mates like to show up and read their audience’s vibe. “Once we feel what everybody else feels, we just let it (the music) flow,” Jones said.
The procession departs from the IOOF, proceeds along Placer Street, and circles back to 1504 Market St. A concert and dance party follows outside the IOOF Hall.
Those who join Redding’s second line can twirl a decorated parasol or umbrella overhead, wave a colorful hankie for an authentic New Orleans look or just show up and dance in the crowd.
Celebrating Juneteenth in Redding
Nationwide, Juneteenth celebrations traditionally include picnics and barbecues, family gatherings, parades, outdoor festivals and special religious services at places of worship, according to federal holiday websites.
Juneteenth decor and food are often red, a color representing power and sacrifice, according to anthropologists. People often dine on strawberries and other red fruit, going on to nibble red velvet cake or barbecued chicken with red sauces on Juneteenth. Refreshments often include red or pink beverages.
But the celebration carries a serious message.
“We want to educate the community more about the Emancipation Proclamation and why we celebrate it,” said McAllister, who urged everyone to attend Redding’s Juneteenth festivities.
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Officially observed on June 19, Juneteenth commemorates the beginning of the end of slavery.
Black communities have celebrated Juneteenth in some form since President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation went into effect on Jan. 1, 1863, declaring free the enslaved people then living in Confederate states during the Civil War.
While the proclamation didn’t immediately free all Americans from slavery, it did pave the way for the Thirteenth Amendment and other legislation that officially abolished slavery in all states during the decade that followed, according to the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African-American History and Culture.
While celebrated for more than 150 years in Black communities, Juneteenth — a portmanteau of the words “June” and “nineteen” ― didn’t become a federal holiday until 2021. That’s when President Joe Biden signed legislation designating it a federal holiday following outcry over the murders of George Floyd, a Black man, at the hands of Minneapolis police officers and Breonna Taylor, a Black woman killed inside her home by Louisville police.
News outlets and social media users shared videos taken by bystanders and police body cameras of the two incidents, sparking outcry regarding violence against Black people and swelling attendance at Black Lives Matter demonstrations.
Juneteenth is widely regarded as the real independence day for Black people in America, according to McAllister. “July 4 was not for us. It certainly wasn’t for people of color,” he said.
For more information about Juneteenth, go to the National Museum of African American History and Culture’s website at nmaahc.si.edu. For more about the Emancipation Proclamation, visit the National Archives website at archives.gov/exhibits/featured-documents/emancipation-proclamation.
Jessica Skropanic is a features reporter for the Record Searchlight/USA Today Network. She covers science, arts, social issues and news stories. Follow her on Twitter@RS_JSkropanic and onFacebook. Join Jessica in the Get Out! Nor Cal recreation Facebook group. To support and sustain this work,please subscribe today. Thank you.
