Black in Glendale, an organization dedicated to promoting awareness and respect for Black culture in the community, hosted a Juneteenth event on Wednesday in Verdugo Park to bring people together through music, dance, food and arts and crafts.
Tanita Harris-Ligons, the founder of Black in Glendale, said this event has been a tradition since 2010. She stressed the importance of creating spaces for people to gather and connect.
Glendale’s Black population makes up roughly 2% of the overall community, according to data in 2022. Harris-Ligons said this is all the more reason to bring residents together and allow the rest of the city to learn more about Black history, culture and experiences.
Creating spaces to uplift Black community members is vital to promoting an inclusive city where everyone feels they have a place, she added.
Juneteenth is a federal holiday in the United States and commemorates the Emancipation Proclamation, issued in 1863 to declare all enslaved people freed in the United States. However, it wasn’t until June 19, 1865, in Galveston, Texas, that the last of those enslaved were informed of their freedom.
First published in the June 22 print issue of the Glendale News-Press.
