Tacoma Juneteenth vigil for victims of police violence

Tacoma, WA – Community members gathered in People’s Park to honor the memory of victims of police violence on Friday, June 19.

News and Views from the People's Struggle

Tacoma, WA – Community members gathered in People’s Park to honor the memory of victims of police violence on Friday, June 19.
By Sparrow McKinney and Brandon Rincon

Colorado Springs, CO – On June 19, the Colorado Springs Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (COSAARPR) gathered at Colorado Springs City Hall to hold a Juneteenth rally against the racist attacks on the voting rights act.

Denver, CO – On Saturday, June 20, thousands of people took to the streets of Denver to celebrate Juneteenth. As the parade departed from Denver’s Manual High School in the late morning, the participants were met by a sea of onlookers primarily donned in black, green and red. As the procession made its way through the streets of Denver, spectators cheered on the parade by waving and raising their fists.

Oakland, CA – On June 19, hundreds of Black Oaklanders gathered around Lake Merritt for an annual Juneteenth celebration. The National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression put out a call for a day of action to “Defend families impacted by police crimes,” which led the Oakland Alliance Against Racist and Pollical Repression to take action.

Orlando, FL – On the evening of Friday, June 19, around 80 community members gathered from all over Orlando at the intersection of Anderson Street and Division Avenue. They carried signs that read “Defend voting rights” and “Justice for the victims of police crimes” as they marched toward city hall in response to Republican-led attacks on the voting rights of the Black community, as well as demanding community control of the police.

Brooklyn, NY – Organizers from the New York Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression gathered in the Bed-Stuy neighborhood of Brooklyn on Friday, June 19, to speak out against police crimes that disproportionately affect Black and brown communities of New York City.

New Orleans, LA – On Juneteenth, June 19, 40 people braved the threatening New Orleans weather and gathered on the bricked pavement outside the federal building on Poydras Street to rally for victims of police murder and Black voting rights.

North Charleston, SC – On June 19, organizers with the Lowcountry Action Committee (LAC), a branch of the National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, rallied on the corner of Remount and Craig Streets, a few hundred yards from the site where Walter Scott was murdered by ex-North Charleston Police Officer Michael Slager 11 years ago, in 2015.

New York, NY – On Thursday June 19, close to 50 New Yorkers assembled to honor the radical legacy of Juneteenth by protesting ICE presence in their city and state. The protest was organized by Equality for Flatbush, a Brooklyn-based organization which focuses on issues facing oppressed people in the Flatbush community.

Milwaukee, WI – Juneteenth or Jubilee Day is celebrated by people all across the country every year on June 19. It is a celebration of the day enslaved peoples in Texas found out they were free on June 19, 1865, two years after the Emancipation Proclamation. This day is celebrated by Black Americans across the United States by gathering, drinking strawberry soda, and eating red velvet cake, red beans and rice, and watermelon.

Fort Lauderdale, FL – About 400 members of the surrounding communities gathered in downtown Fort Lauderdale to commemorate Juneteenth and demand an end to police violence. The event was sponsored by several local organizations, including SEIU Local 32BJ, Black Lives Matter Alliance of Broward, Broward Dream Defenders, and the New Florida Majority. The event began at 3 p.m. at Bubier Park, where those in attendance listened to speeches, chanted, and even danced.

New York, NY – At noon, June 19, several hundred gathered outside of City Hall Park to celebrate, rally and march for Juneteenth. It was the first of several dozen actions happening throughout the boroughs and was called by the December 12th Movement.

New York, NY – At noon, June 19, several hundred gathered outside of City Hall Park to celebrate, rally and march for Juneteenth. It was the first of several dozen actions happening throughout the boroughs and was called by the December 12th Movement.
San Francisco, CA – The International Longshore and Warehouse Union Coast Longshore Division is planning a large-scale work stoppage June 19.
Oshkosh, WI – On June 16, United Action Oshkosh (UAO) hosted a celebration of the Juneteenth holiday. Roughly 30 people from the area attended the event where UAO offered free food and drinks, provided an extensive selection of music, and some works celebrating important Black and African historical figures, ranging from Martin Luther King, Jr. to Thomas Sankara.

Tampa, FL – Twenty Tampa student and community activists gathered for a barbecue on June 19 to celebrate Juneteenth. Hosted by the Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO), attendees discussed topics such as African American history, the Black Lives Matter movement, socialism and African American liberation in the Black Belt South.