Imperial Valley Juneteenth Event Blends History with Revelry

EL CENTRO — Blending of the words “June” and “nineteenth,” Juneteenth commemorates June 19, 1865, when Union Army Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger brought word of the Emancipation Proclamation to Texas, freeing the last of the slaves in the United States at the end of the Civil War.

On Saturday, June 15, hundreds of people showed up to the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Sports Pavilion in El Centro to celebrate Juneteenth ahead of Wednesday’s third observance as a federal holiday to learn about Juneteenth, courtesy of the nonprofit community-based organization, Imperial Valley Social Justice Committee.

IV Social Justice Committee officials say they hope to spread awareness, “that’s why we’re here for Juneteenth, to educate people,” said Adrianne Lawson, special events coordinator for the committee. “And even the booths, the vendors, a lot of them know the history of Juneteenth, but not everybody in the community knows what Juneteenth is.”

Curiosity brought out visitors like El Centro resident Yvonne Hernandez and her family to the event. Being in an interracial marriage and raising their daughter together, Hernandez said she understands the importance of learning about each other’s cultural history. 

“I wanted more knowledge about what June 19 was about,” Hernandez said. “I’m married to obviously an African American, and he has taught me a lot of stuff. But I wanted to see what it was about.

“Sometimes you gotta learn about each other, what we went through and the background of it,” she added.

Juneteenth was commemorated with an array of festivities on Saturday evening followed by the second annual Opal Lee Awards ceremony, which are named after the 97-year-old Marshall, Texas, woman referred to as the “Grandmother of Juneteenth” for her activism to have the day recognized as a federal holiday. The retired teacher and school counselor was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor, by President Biden in 2024.

Amongst those performing was Carmelia “Toot” Bell, a folkorico dance group, Healing Rhythms African drummers and the animated Calexico Martial Arts Academy dragon dancers, which also did martial arts demonstrations in addition to the popular dragon dance. And there was soul food like smoked ribs, hot links, Louisiana boiled crab and sweet tea available for purchase. There were also giveaways, games, face painting, balloon art, vendors and various performers were present.

Educating Schools on Juneteenth

When it comes to observing Juneteenth, individuals like the Social Justice Committee’s Lawson want it to be celebrated for more than just a day off, but so people can understand the history behind the holiday.

“We want you to understand the culture of Juneteenth and that we’re all here together,” Lawson said. “You know what I mean, to learn about Juneteenth, to be just united as one? Cause there’s just so much hate in the world, with African American people, Asian, everybody.”

“So we need to promote that we are all one. Don’t look at our skin color, but just look at who we are and what we do for our communities.”

And when it comes to teaching, the fundamentals of educating start within the schools. However, with history seemingly being erased gradually from the history books and its classrooms, Lawson said, key points in the country’s past will begin to falter. Something that Lawson intends to keep alive by visiting the schools in the community in order to spread awareness about Juneteenth.  

“Juneteenth really changed African Americans’ lives. Because, like I said, they were enslaved; 250,000 people (remained in Texas after the official end of slavery). But it’s not taught in schools,” Lawson said. 

“It’s disheartening sometimes. And just disheartening that the students, like in the high school, don’t even know what Juneteenth is, let alone Black history. So it’s not really being taught … The teachers are not teaching Juneteenth in the classrooms. And I think that’s an important part of history that needs to be talked about.”

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Although the Emancipation Proclamation was issued in 1863 ending all slavery, more than 250,000 remained enslaved in the Confederate state of Texas. It was not until two and a half years later, in 1865, when some 2,000 Union Army troops arrived on foot in Galveston Bay and declared the enslaved free by executive decree. That day forward was known as Juneteenth.

Juneteenth would not be recognized as a national holiday without the continuous efforts of Opal Lee, who for decades walked 2.5 miles every year representing the 2.5 years it took for the news of the Emancipation Proclamation to reach Texas in 1865. 

The Battle for Juneteenth

Among the attendees on June 15 was El Centro resident Rosalind Summers. Summers comes from a family of advocates, she explained. In the late ’60s, her mother marched with Civil Rights icon, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in Los Angeles for equality.

And when asked if there was anything that she wished people would take away from attending the event, it was the understanding of the struggles and fights that people like her mother had to endure in order to pave the way for the future youths.

“You know, things did not used to be the way they are today … Somebody worked hard to get things to be where they are. You know, It wasn’t easy and it was a struggle,” Summers said. “People marched. People went to jail. People got spit on. People got shot with hoses.” 

In truth, a great deal of hardships, failures and victories have transpired in order to declare Juneteenth a national holiday. 

“People worked hard for us to be recognized,” she said. “And the youth of today need to know what others went through to get to where we’re at now.”