Juneteenth

Community Celebrates Designation of ‘New Orleans Corridor’ in South Los Angeles 

On Saturday, June 17, just two days before Juneteenth, Los Angeles City Councilmember Heather Hutt, and the Los Angeles Jazz Festival Foundation hosted the dedication and ribbon-cutting ceremony for the newly named  “New Orleans Corridor”; (Holy Name of Jesus Catholic Church, 1977 W Jefferson Blvd, LA, CA 90018) to Harold & Belle’s Creole Restaurant (2920 W Jefferson Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90018 ). The New Orleans Corridor will honor the historical migration of Creole and African American families from Louisiana to their settling in Los Angeles during a violently tumultuous period in the South. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell, Inglewood Mayor James T. Butts, Basketball legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and more joined other dignitaries and musicians to mark the special occasion. 

Juneteenth 2023: California Celebrates Black Freedom

Juneteenth officially became a federal holiday in 2021 when President Joe Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act into law.  Even before that national proclamation, Juneteenth had been recognized as a holiday in California.

Lura’s Kitchen Joins Effort to Save CCCF Bell Tower Overlooking Los Angeles

Lura’s Kitchen, Inc., a multi-generational California benefit corporation founded on the principle of “doing business while doing good,” announced that they are launching “Madear’s Old Fashion Gourmet Teacake Mix Sales Campaign,” with a mission to help restore the tower of the historical Congregational Church of Christian Fellowship (CCCF) in South Los Angeles. Just in time for Juneteenth, Lura’s Kitchen will donate 20% of the proceeds from the sale of its teacake mixes and cookies through the end of June 2023, joining the effort to save the CCCF Bell Tower that overlooks L.A, a symbol of hope in the Los Angeles

Is Making Juneteenth a Federal Holiday Supposed to Be Enough? Do We Not Deserve Reparations?

African Americans have been enslaved more than once in their lifespan. In fact, the community is still enslaved today because most African Americans suffer the long-term social-economic effects that slavery has had on us as a people both directly and indirectly. Do you, as an African American person reading this article, feel free? Are you as an African American parent having to coach your children about what to do when encountering police authority? Do you as an African American feel there are fewer opportunities for you to get ahead based on the color of your skin? Do you as an

MLS and Black Players for Change Commemorate Juneteenth with “Freedom to Be” Jersey Numbers and Auction for Impact Organizations

Major League Soccer (MLS) announced on Wednesday a series of initiatives to celebrate Juneteenth – the historic date commemorating the emancipation of enslaved African-Americans in the U.S. All programs are a close collaboration between MLS, the league’s 28 clubs, and Black Players for Change (BPC) – an independent organization of Black MLS players, coaches, and staff working to bridge the racial equality gap in soccer and society– and are a continuation of MLS’ work to bring awareness to the significant contributions of Black Americans, and to foster more inclusive and equitable communities.  “To me Juneteenth is a reminder for all Americans

Juneteenth Message: Why Freedom?

Even though slaves were freed in 1863, 2.5 years before, Texas refused to share the news with slaves there because, as it’s told, crops still needed to be harvested by slave labor. Freed people were not free.

L.A., Carson and Cities Across State Commemorate Juneteenth 2022      

  On June 6, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti signed a proclamation making Juneteenth an official holiday for city employees.   Although President Joe Biden signed a bill declaring Juneteenth a federal holiday last year, cities and states still have the power to decide which holidays they will officially observe.   Mayor Garcetti’s signing is one among many commemorations of Juneteenth nationwide as a growing number of states and municipalities officially honor the historic holiday long celebrated in African American communities across the United States.    “We need every Angeleno to learn the full story of our past, no matter the ugliness