‘It gets no better than this’: Spokane Juneteenth celebration brings thoughts of freedom, progress

Booths, hot dogs and pony rides.

Those were some of the main attractions Saturday outside the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center as the community came together to celebrate Juneteenth.

“When I look around, it’s not often that you see Black businesses and Black organizations getting together to be able to celebrate Juneteenth,” said Virla Spencer, chief executive officer of the nonprofit legal assistance firm the Way to Justice. “So this is something that is significant, and it’s over in the East Central area, so it gets no better than this.”

The federal holiday, recognized each year on June 19, is a combination of the words “June” and “nineteenth.” It commemorates the day news of the Emancipation Proclamation reached those who were enslaved in Galveston, Texas, on June 19, 1865, two and a half years after President Abraham Lincoln issued the proclamation that declared freedom to enslaved people.

Juneteenth became a federal holiday in 2021 after Congress passed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act.

The Way to Justice was one of many entities informing and connecting people to resources Saturday, joining the city of Spokane, the Spokane County Human Rights Task Force, NAACP Spokane, Providence and others.

“When I think about Juneteenth, I think about just how far we have come as a people,” Spencer said. “I think about all the things that we’ve suffered in this lifetime to get to this moment.”

Jada Richardson, teen program supervisor at the MLK community center, said Juneteenth represents liberation and joy even though there’s still so much Black people are fighting for and against.

“This is one of those moments to stop and pause, and at least celebrate where we are and how far we’ve come,” Richardson said.

While booths dominated the community center’s parking lot, many found their way over to the food area for a hot dog.

Cameron Scott, who held his 1-year-old son, Samuel, was among them. He also took his son to the bouncy castle, which children enjoyed outside the center.

“I think it’s fun to get together,” Scott said. “It’s another reason for everybody to get out and enjoy each other.”

Scott said he hadn’t been to a Juneteenth celebration before, but he enjoyed the experience.

“I think it’s nice to see that we’re recognizing the importance of freedom for everybody and to recognize what people have overcome,” Scott said. “I just think it’s nice to recognize people’s struggles for what it is.”

Jalize Jackson, who wore a shirt that said, “Black and Proud,” was with her husband and two small children. They observed the pony, horse, rabbits and goats that Kari’s Kritterz brought to the event.

Some people chose to ride the horse and pony down South Stone Street.

Jackson said she wanted to celebrate the holiday and get her children outside.

“Being an African American, it needs to be out there, we need to be celebrated,” Jackson said. “We need to get our word out.”