The local commemoration of Black emancipation from slavery on Monday, June 19, will include games, music and food.
This Juneteenth, a community block party will fill the Salem Capitol Mall with games, vendors and music to celebrate the Black community’s freedom.
On June 19, 1865, over two years after President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation, around 2,000 Union troops arrived in Galveston Bay, Texas with the news that the enslaved people in the state had been freed – knowledge Texas enslavers had withheld.
The Black community marks that day as freedom day, said Oni Marchbanks, founder of Equity Splash, who is organizing the Salem event.
“I often say: we get free together, or not at all. And together, we rise,” she said. “If one of us is in bondage then we’re all, somehow, in bondage.”
Though already celebrated for generations in the Black community, Juneteenth became an Oregon state and a federal holiday in 2021, the first new federal holiday created since Martin Luther King Jr. Day in 1983, according to the Associated Press. The designation followed nationwide protests over the murder of George Floyd which sparked discussions about racism and policing across the U.S.
This year in Salem, Equity Splash has planned an energetic Juneteenth event which will include games for kids, a bounce house, food and music. There will also be talks about diversity and the history of Juneteenth.
The celebration will be Monday, June 19, from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. at the Salem Capitol Mall, 900 Court St N.E.
“It’s just a fun day of being in community together, and pooling our resources together so people can learn about what our Salem community has,” she said.
Marchbanks’ nonprofit, Equity Splash, focuses on science, technology, engineering and math learning programs for Black students in Salem. She won a volunteer award from the city for her work in October.
She said Salem’s sense of community support feels unique. When she asked community partners to get involved, most people said yes.
“‘Yes’ to being a part being in community, being a part of the change that needs to happen in community,” she said. “The community really wants our community to thrive, not just survive, but to thrive.”
Community partners in the event include the Salem-Keizer NAACP, Black Joy Oregon, the BE-BLAC Foundation, Marion-Polk Food Share, Salem neighborhood associations and other community educators and organizations.
Marchbanks’ first priority for the event, she said, is for people to have fun.
“I’m hoping that we’re able to collaborate, create and connect at this event,” Marchbanks said. She hopes that people will leave with a better understanding of available community resources and advocacy groups in the area.
This is Equity Splash’s first time organizing a Juneteenth event, because the nonprofit was just a week old this time last year. Marchbanks said she hopes the new venue with plenty of space will help draw attendees.
She said her goal with building connection and community is about making things accessible to all. When asked what organizing the Juneteenth celebration meant to her, she said the subject makes her emotional.
Having over a dozen community partners say yes has meant a lot to her.
“It means that all the nights when I was exhausted, all the nights when I wanted to give up. All the difficult conversations I’ve had about race and gender and equity, and the dimensions of difference, that all those different conversations were not in vain,” she said.
“That it is working. And that people do want to see change, and they do want to help each other in community,” she said.
There are several other events celebrating Juneteenth this weekend.
The Salem-Keizer NAACP will have a booth at the Salem Saturday Market on June 17th from 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. to talk about their work, how to get involved and community Juneteenth events.
At 10 a.m. on Monday, The Willamette Heritage Center and Oregon Black Pioneers will host a Juneteenth Community History Walk, which will teach participants about Albert and Mary Ann Bayless, who both escaped enslavement and moved to Salem in the 19th century. They were known for their philanthropy, and helped fund city landmarks that still stand today.
All state and federal offices and courts will close on Monday, June 19, to observe the holiday. U.S. Post offices will also be closed. Most city offices will be closed, not including public works or emergency services. Cherriots will be running at a Sunday service level on local routes.
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Abbey McDonald joined the Salem Reporter in 2022. She previously worked as the business reporter at The Astorian, where she covered labor issues, health care and social services. A University of Oregon grad, she has also reported for the Malheur Enterprise, The News-Review and Willamette Week.
