Boulder County celebrates Juneteenth, hoping it serves as 'the bridge' for social change

Jun. 20—Over plates of steaming red beans and rice, smoked hot dogs and "lip-smacking potato salad," close to 50 people gathered at Willow Farm Park in Longmont to celebrate and commemorate Juneteenth during an inaugural legacy picnic.

The event, one of several across the county, followed on the heels of President Joe Biden signing a law Thursday to make Juneteenth a federal holiday. While leaders across Boulder County marked the milestone, they said the long overdue recognition is just the start of work to improve social equity.

By the president's side during the signing was 94-year-old Opal Lee. The Fort Worth, Texas, woman has been fighting for years to make Juneteenth a national holiday through the collection of more than 1.6 million signatures and marching for miles during walking campaigns.

Lee, known as the "Grandmother of Juneteenth," spoke to Boulder County residents during another Saturday event: the Executive Committee for African American Cultural Events' inaugural Juneteenth production, which was created in partnership with NAACP Boulder County.

"It's important that people understand that the celebration takes on more than a festival. That when those people got free and they were able to keep their children — they weren't sold away from them; that they were able to name themselves; they were able to buy property; they were able to participate in the legislature," Lee said. "There was so much freedom that they enjoyed, that they never had before. We're trying to pass that on to others: That Juneteenth is about freedom."

Lee said Juneteenth becoming a national holiday provides recognition of the nation's history and has the potential to catalyze positive change from bettering education in schools to addressing wage gaps and climate change.

"We feel like the Juneteenth is the bridge that will get us together that we can go over and get these things addressed," Lee said. "Once it's on the calendar, then people are going to know that it's significant. We made some folks aware, but there are so many more to make aware."

Juneteenth is a holiday that commemorates June 19, 1865, when federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas, to tell enslaved people that they were free. That announcement came more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed in 1863, which freed people enslaved in the south. The Denver Post reports that the proclamation couldn't be enforced in many places until after the Civil War ended in April 1865.

Bettie Brown-Nunally, who helped host the inaugural picnic, said June 19, 1865, didn't mean total freedom for those enslaved.

"Not all enslaved people were free instantly, and not all enslaved people were freed," Brown-Nunally said. "They were still killing people. There were still hangings. They were still treated just like they were property. Slavery was not over just because the Emancipation Proclamation was signed, and as far as I'm concerned slavery is not over now."

The people who listened to Brown-Nunally, of Longmont, gathered over plates of food prepared by Tondra Gaspard, a former New Orleans resident who runs a private chef operation with her husband in Longmont.

Recipes, Brown-Nunally said, were the only things owned by enslaved people, so the "soul food" was served to represent an important part of Black culture.

As the food steamed and the rain drummed on the roof of the park pavilion, Boulder County Commissioner Marta Loachamin said the county's proclamation for the holiday and the celebration being federally recognized are starting points, but there's more work to be done.

"The celebration is a beginning to understanding and honoring the history of enslavement in the United States," Loachamin said. "But, just having a celebration doesn't create change. It doesn't support Black businesses. It doesn't affect our financial wealth gap in this country. It doesn't create systemic change."

To pay homage to the holiday, Longmont Mayor Brian Bagley joined in a ceremony to raise the Juneteenth flag in front of the civic center at 350 Kimbark St. The ceremony was recorded as part of the Executive Committee for African American Cultural Events' production. Bagley read a proclamation recognizing the historical significance of the holiday.

"Be it further resolved that the history and plight of African Americans and all that they have endured through chattel slavery, Reconstruction, Jim Crow and the Civil Rights movement is an example of pure resilience," Bagley read. "Be it therefore resolved that the city of Longmont recognizes, adopts and proclaims this resolution to underscore the freedom and dignity of every human being."

The production on Saturday also featured a dance, as well as readings of poetry and of award-winning author Alice Faye Duncan's book: "Opal Lee and What It Means to Be Free." Students from Boulder High School's Black Student Alliance also spoke about their efforts to promote social justice and gave their definitions of freedom.

Like those who spoke alongside her, Boulder Mayor Pro Tem Junie Joseph said during the taped production that she hoped that the day served as both a celebration and inspiration.

"Today, we will highlight and celebrate Juneteenth as a necessary component of our American history," Joseph said. "We must focus on creating opportunities and access for communities to be able to celebrate the rich Black history around us. We must allow this space for education surrounding Black and African American history and culture, because to know is to grow."

People who missed the Executive Committee for African American Cultural Events' virtual Juneteenth production can view it on their YouTube channel.