Celebrating Juneteenth through joy and community

By De’Sean Quinn,
Metro Assistant General Manager for Strategy and Partnerships

Tomorrow is Juneteenth (June 19), a day that recognizes the end of slavery in the United States. In 1865, two and half years following the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation, federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas, to take control of the state and ensure that all enslaved people be freed. African descendants who had spent their lives in bondage took the date, June 19, to commemorate freedom and resilience. Juneteenth is considered the longest-running African American holiday.

Growing up in the Seattle-area, my family and I recognized Juneteenth, but, at that time, there were not a lot of formal celebrations in the Pacific Northwest. It wasn’t until I attended Morehouse College in Georgia that I realized how differently Juneteenth celebrations can vary by region. In the South, and definitely in areas surrounded by historically Black colleges, the celebrations were much larger. During my time in Atlanta, I had the opportunity to experience many Juneteenth celebrations and traditions that my peers had been a part of for decades. Being immersed in the resilience, reflections, joy and community rooted in these celebrations made Juneteenth that much more meaningful for me.

Since then, and more specifically over the past several years, my family and I have been coming together to celebrate Juneteenth with friends and other families in our community. From food, live music, speakers, reflections, kids’ activities and more—the gathering has evolved over the years from just a small group of us to now the size of a neighborhood block party! These celebrations look a little different every year, with more people participating and new events added, yet the one constant is that joy and community remain grounded at the heart of it.

Juneteenth is a jubilant celebration to recognize resilience, perseverance and the legacy of all those who never stopped pushing towards freedom. It is centered on the responsibility we have to reflect on the journey of the African American experience and its history in our country. It is coming together in community and how we support and uplift one another.

At Metro, our goal is to provide transportation that is equitable, safe and enables access to opportunities for all . Part of that work is to acknowledge and address the continuing racial disparities in our region to build better communities for everyone. The work we do towards creating a more equitable mobility system is meaningful and necessary.

This Juneteenth, I hope you will find ways to celebrate the progress we’ve made and recognize the work still ahead of us. Below are a few other events in our region where you can learn, listen, and find ways to connect with others.