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In June 2022, Lionel and Natalie Saulsberry hosted a Juneteenth celebration in their driveway for friends, neighbors and family.

The holiday commemorates Union troops freeing enslaved people in Galveston, Texas, two and a half years after President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863.

The couple said they decided to host the neighborhood celebration after seeing and hearing so many people wondering what exactly Juneteenth was.

Looking back, “everyone was asking what that new holiday was,” Natalie said. “People were saying, “Oh, it’s a Black holiday. Some holiday Black people celebrate. I was like, ‘You know what Juneteenth is, right?’ And people were like, ‘No, I don’t know.’ “

So the Saulsberrys held a rather informal celebration, but Natalie said it was impactful for those who attended.

“They were excited to be welcomed by us,” Natalie said. “They brought their children. We had books, we had educational material and friends making food. We put sofas outside, people gathered around and talked about the day.”

For Natalie, this was what it was supposed to be like.

“We live next to each other — we should all know a little more, and that’s why we are doing this, we want to create community.”

Lionel shared what the holiday means to him

“To me, it’s the beginning of equality,” Lionel said. “We no longer are shackled, and we are able to be the human beings we should be.”

Moved by cultural importance and spurred by the success of their neighborhood celebration, the Saulsberrys pressed to do more. Now, with support from the city of San Marcos and lots of their own money, the Saulsberrys are putting on a Juneteenth celebration with music, food and history at Cal State San Marcos.

“A lot of Juneteenth celebrations look like they’re only for Black people, but we don’t grow that way,” Lionel said. “We want this to be open for everyone, and for everyone to come in and experience — this is not Black history, this is American history.”

Natalie gets emotional when discussing what the San Marcos celebration means to her.

“Me being of mixed race — I have a white mother and black father — my family owned slaves and were enslaved, so I am in a position to feel that I have to do something about this, to make sure history doesn’t repeat itself,” Natalie said. “I want to make my ancestors proud.”

Making a change sometimes starts in someplace simple — like a driveway in San Marcos.

“We’re trying to leave a legacy that we’re making change,” Natalie said. “We can sit in our house all day and talk about why people don’t celebrate or why the city isn’t doing anything, but it only takes one person to have an idea and make something happen. It’s interesting how much support we’ve received from friends, local businesses and people who don’t know us — they are just so happy that someone is doing something to create community here. This happens all over San Diego, but we live here in San Marcos, and we just decided it was up to us: We were going to be those people.”

Juneteenth San Marcos features live music, more than 30 unique vendors, special culinary experiences, history and more. Admission is free, but there’s a special Emancipation VIP Lounge area that requires tickets for admission. A portion of the proceeds will benefit two nonprofits, the Bad Boyz of Culinary and AIM, Achievement in Motion. Click here for more information or tickets