San Francisco’s annual occasion, in its fourth yr, began with a parade down Market Avenue and ended with an hours-long celebration at Embarcadero Plaza.
Juneteenth, acknowledged formally on June 19 yearly, has solely been federally honored since 2021. However Black People have lengthy acknowledged the day’s historical past, and, this yr, the work that also must be accomplished.
Honest Dow, a transit operator with the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Company, mentioned that it’s vital to by no means let the day die down.
“I do know we’ve been going again in time it looks as if, however it’s vital that we keep in mind the progress we’ve made and try to proceed to make progress going ahead,” Dow mentioned.
Since President Donald Trump started his second time period in 2025, his administration has taken steps to dismantle insurance policies that goal to create extra numerous and inclusive establishments.
The Nationwide Park Service not affords free-entry days for Juneteenth or Martin Luther King Jr. Day, range, fairness and inclusion initiatives have been minimize, and the Pentagon’s observances of Juneteenth and Black Historical past Month had been paused final yr.
Rodney Leggett mentioned the Trump administration’s insurance policies are precisely why historical past must be saved alive.
“They’re making an attempt to alter the previous,” mentioned Leggett, who met his spouse 42 years in the past at a Juneteenth pageant. “They’ll’t enable individuals to bury our historical past by banning books and issues of that nature.”
Marie Hobs, who attended the parade in her 1971 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme, centered on unity as her cause for displaying up. She mentioned she got here out for the generations to return.
“To point out that African People, different cultures and everybody can get collectively, have time and simply rejoice excellence,” Hobs mentioned. “Not simply Black excellence, however all excellence of individuals, of being a human race right here in America and making an attempt to outlive on this financial system.”
The cities of Oakland and Antioch, residence to among the area’s largest share of Black residents, hosted their very own occasions this week. At a Friday occasion placed on by the Oakland Museum of California, attendees burdened the significance of honoring a Black historical past that’s usually been erased.
Maxwell Drati instructed KQED on the occasion that he wished to see reparations for Black People go additional than simply cash.
“I need to see concentrated efforts by the federal government to restore the injury they’ve systemically accomplished to our communities,” Drati mentioned.
Antioch Councilmember Monica Wilson, the town’s first Black girl to serve on the Metropolis Council, spoke at a city-sponsored occasion on Friday.
“The onerous work, the sweat and the tears to get to in the present day,” Wilson mentioned Friday. “Now we have a lot extra work to do.”
Different cities aren’t lacking out on the celebration.
Vallejo’s Juneteenth Parade and Pageant and Berkeley’s Juneteenth Pageant are additionally happening this weekend, with different occasions in Healdsburg, San Jose, Menlo Park and Santa Rosa already having taken place this month.
KQED’s Lakshmi Sarah contributed to this report.
