Celebration honors Black history with music, education, and local pride
PASO ROBLES — On Saturday, June 21, Paso Robles City Park was alive with activity as the community gathered for the Juneteenth Jubilee. Juneteenth, short for “June Nineteenth,” marks the day in 1865 when Union troops arrived in Galveston, Texas, and informed the last remaining enslaved African Americans that they were free — more than two years after President Abraham Lincoln had issued the Emancipation Proclamation.
Though the proclamation became official on Jan. 1, 1863, it could not be enforced in many Southern states still under Confederate control. Juneteenth has since become a symbol of African American freedom and resilience, celebrated annually with gatherings, parades, and cultural events. In 2021, Juneteenth was officially recognized as a federal holiday in the United States.
Cities across the country have celebrated Juneteenth for decades with traditional festivities often including parades, music performances, historical reenactments, and readings of the Emancipation Proclamation. The celebrations include the specific usage of red, green, and yellow which symbolize the blood and sacrifice of African ancestors (red), the wealth and hope of African heritage (yellow), and the land and growth of Black communities (green).
Paso Robles celebrated their first Juneteenth Jubilee back in 2021 when locals Juanetta Perkins, Lovella Walker, and Sondra Williams got together to create the event.
Perkins explains how the event came to be in Paso Robles, “Black community members. We honestly just learned about Juneteenth about five years ago, and this was something that I wanted my younger children to know about since I was an adult finding out about it. So it was just community members, and we came together and we put it together.”
The Juneteenth Jubilee featured several activities throughout the day. From inspirational speeches and performances by local talents to engaging workshops and educational sessions, the event offered something for everyone. This was their fourth time hosting the event after taking a break last year.
“The turnout was amazing,” said Perkins. “I think it was the most that we’ve had … but the support and its turnout wasamazing.”
Perkins explained to Paso Robles Press that she would like to see the local school districts include more Black history into the curriculum. As an alum of Paso Robles High School, Perkins says she was saddened that she didn’t learn about Juneteenth until recently.
“I didn’t learn about my culture,” said Perkins. “So hopefully, people see that the school district as far as curriculumsand helping out in cultures, they need to change the curriculum so that Black kids can be proud of who they are and not feel ashamed to be different.”
Collaboration with local organizations and community groups played a crucial role in making the event successful. The committee expressed their gratitude to the sponsors who supported the Juneteenth Jubilee, acknowledging their contribution to bringing the event to life. Perkins hopes to see more local businesses get involved in the future. She said they also enjoyed highlighting some local black business owners on Saturday. They then had a big after-party at The Backyard, who was a big sponsor for this year.
For more information on Juneteenth in Paso Robles or to get involved, visit facebook.com/Juneteenth.Paso
Feature Image: Juanetta Perkins (far left), on of the organizers of the Juneteenth Jubilee, speaks during the June 21 event at Paso Robles City Park. Photos courtesy of Juneteenth Paso
