After pulling sponsorship earlier this year from the Juneteenth event hosted at Rebecca Howard Park, the City of Olympia has decided to back a separate Juneteenth celebration at the ASHHO Cultural Community Center in Tumwater.
The event commemorates June 19, 1865 — the date when 2,000 Black Union troops of the 25th Infantry arrived in Galveston Bay, Texas, and liberated 250,000 slaves.
ASHHO’s Fourth Annual Juneteenth Celebration runs from 4 to 8 p.m. on Friday, June 19 at the ASHHO Cultural Community Center, located at 5757 Littlerock Road Southwest in Tumwater.
Organizers describe the community event as “a powerful evening of joy, culture, storytelling, belonging, and community connection as we honor the meaning and history of Juneteenth through music, spoken word, reflection, delicious food, art, and celebration.”
Event organizers also intend to “honor humble local leaders making a meaningful impact in our community through special recognition plaques,” according to promotional material.
The event will be emceed by DJ Qualifi and will feature spoken word artist Terrance “Caution” Turner.
The event is free to attend, but attendees are required to register ahead of time at https://tinyurl.com/5e76h88m
For more information on the event, visit https://www.ashho.org/events/ashhos-4th-annual-juneteenth-celebration
The ASHHO Cultural Community Center was founded by human rights and social justice advocate Khurshida Begum, who serves as the community center’s executive director. She and her partner, Rubel Mina, also run Ruina Soul Café and catering service at the community center.
In addition to being sponsored by the City of Olympia, ASHHO’s Juneteenth celebration is also sponsored by the Inatai Foundation out of Seattle.
This is the City of Olympia’s first year sponsoring the ASHHO event.
The city has historically sponsored a Juneteenth celebration at Rebecca Howard Park organized by the Women of Color Leadership Movement.
In April, the city informed Women of Color Leadership Movement and Media Island International Executive Director Shawna Hawk that the city would not be sponsoring her event this year.
Hawk and event partner Javoen Byrd have alleged that the city’s decision not to sponsor their Juneteenth event this year is retaliation for a public clash between Byrd and Olympia Mayor Dontae Payne in February.
In a statement to the Thurston Chronicle in April, Olympia Assistant City Manager Stacey Ray said the decision to sponsor a different Juneteenth event this year came after an internal evaluation of its five-year partnership with the Women of Color Leadership Movement and its partners.
“After an internal evaluation of that partnership, city leaders decided the timing was right to explore opportunities to develop partnerships with different organizations as part of an ongoing effort to bring new voices and experiences to our cultural events,” Ray said at the time.
The city did waive the fee for use of Rebecca Howard Park for Hawk’s Juneteenth event, but without a city sponsorship, event organizers were responsible for organizing amenities like porta potties, insurance and tents, and financing other event costs that were previously covered by the city.
Event organizers have successfully pulled the resources together to hold their Juneteenth celebration this year, and that event will run from 1 to 5 p.m. on Saturday, June 20, at Rebecca Howard Park, located at 911 Adams Street Southeast in Olympia.
The event is free to attend.
The event will feature DJ Lady Hawk, the Buffalo Soldiers, Zambuko Marimba Ensemble, the Mustard Seed, Queen Care, Brenda Belle Soul Food, Jerk an Tingz, and more.
For more information on the event, visit https://www.thewomenofcolorinleadershipmovement.com/eventscommunityengagement
