A spirit of celebration flourished among attendees of Justice Vanguard’s third annual Juneteenth Festival Sunday (June 19) at Hillview Park in Los Altos. An estimated 1,000 local residents gathered to eat, drink, play and dance, with an underlying pursuit of justice providing inspiration.
According to Kenan Moos and Kiyoshi Taylor, co-founders of JV, the meaning of Juneteenth is multifaceted. They wanted the local event to be a space where the small Black population of Los Altos felt safe and celebrated, but also a communitywide gathering where people could connect with one another and learn about the cultural history of Black Americans and the continued injustices they face.
As attendees sipped on “Freedom Rum Punch” and “Reparations Strawberry Lemonade,” they could peruse booths stocked with information on the background of Juneteenth and the ongoing struggles the global Black community confronts. A booth sponsored by the Haiti Action Committee offered several pieces of literature detailing the history of oppression of Haitians by both France and the U.S., as well as resources for supporting Haitian liberation.
“Today we celebrate our community, the steps we have taken in the past, our ancestors, our history,” Taylor said in a speech between musical performances. “It’s a tough history, but we have to have an honest conversation about it, even if it’s uncomfortable – because it’s OK to be uncomfortable, it’s OK to be ashamed. It’s not OK to be ignorant. It’s not OK to turn a blind eye when your brother’s on the ground and you don’t help him up.”
Attendance grew approximately 20% from last year’s 800. Moos noted that in addition to the high turnout, festival-goers stuck around for more of the event than in previous years, which made for “immaculate vibes.”
JV raised more than $5,000 from sales of drinks and T-shirts and direct donations to the organization’s Blackalaureate Scholarship Fund, which awards scholarships at the end of each school year to local Black students who demonstrate a dedication to learning both within and beyond the classroom.
To donate to the Blackalaureate fund and for more information, visit justicevanguard.org/invest.
