City Of South San Francisco: Honoring Juneteenth

South San Francisco CA

08 June, 2022

3:54 AM

Description

Press release from the City of South San Francisco: June 6, 2022 Juneteenth (a portmanteau of 'June' and 'Nineteenth') commemorates the effective end of slavery in the United States when, in 1865, union soldiers arrived in Galveston Texas to inform slaves of their freedom. However, the emancipation proclamation was signed in 1863, and Texas was the last state to let its slaves go free, two years later. Whether your community celebrates Juneteenth, or you're looking to learn more about the holiday to better support your fellow African American community members, the Peninsula Library System has a slate of programs and opportunities to learn more about and honor Juneteenth. We Are Not Strangers Here: Podcast Listening Exhibit Available from June 13-24 during opening hours In-person listening stations at both Main and Grand libraries Honor Juneteenth at the Library. Visit the We Are Not Strangers Here podcast exhibition station to learn about the history of African American agricultural communities in California. About the We Are Not Strangers Here exhibit: "While it is widely recognized that many Black people who migrated to California moved into booming cities, African Americans are not strangers to rural California. Rural Black residents opened schools, worked the land, and exercised vigilance about the equal rights of citizens. Over successive migrations in the 19th- and 20th-centuries, generations settled in agricultural and rural areas from as far north as Siskiyou County, to the Central Valley, to the Imperial Valley in the South." We Are Not Strangers Here is a collaboration between the Cal Ag Roots Project at the California Institute for Rural Studies; Susan Anderson of the California African American Museum; the California Historical Society; Exhibit Envoy; and Dr. Caroline Collins from UC San Diego. This project was made possible with support from California Humanities, a non-profit partner of the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the 11th Hour Project at the Schmidt Family Foundation. Can't make it to the library's listening stations? No problem! Download our podcast playlist here. Honoring Juneteenth: African American Migrations to the San Francisco Bay Area Monday, June 20, 6:30 PM Virtual via Zoom Author and historian Jan Batiste Adkins (African Americans of San Francisco, African Americans of San Jose and Santa Clara County) will discuss the history of African American migration to the San Francisco Bay Area and share a presentation about these communities. Hosted by South San Francisco Public Library and co-sponsored by San Bruno Public Library. Registration required. Jan Batiste Adkins is the author of African Americans of San Francisco, African Americans of Monterey County, and African Americans of San Jose and Santa Clara County, published by Arcadia Publishing Company in the Images of America series. Over the last 15 years, she has developed a passion for literary research starting with a San Jose State University Master's Thesis in Literary Prose and Poetry in San Francisco's Black Newspapers, 1862-1885 completed in 2009, published by UMI Dissertation Publishing. In 2018, she also wrote an article titled "Blacks in San Francisco" which was published in 2018 by Oxford Press. Since 2007, Batiste Adkins has been an associate faculty member at San Jose City College teaching English literature, writing composition, and African American Literature. In addition to community college teaching, she also lectures in the public and private sectors about the African American communities in the Bay Area. In February 2022, she was inducted into the Black Legends of Silicon Valley for her research and publications about the African American communities of the Bay Area. She is currently a board member of the African American Heritage House, Inc., member of the Santa Clara County Alliance of Black Educators, and a Diversity Committee member of the Los Altos Museum. She is currently beginning a new writing project about the Bay Area Black communities for History Press, Inc. What's going on around the Peninsula Kid Makers: Juneteenth Crafts Saturday, June 4, 2022, 2 PM - 3 PM Makerspace at the Downtown Redwood City Public Library Join the Juneteenth, Freedom Day celebration! Create a replica of the Juneteenth flag and other crafts and activities in the Redwood City Public Library's Makerspace. Hosted by the Redwood City Public Library. For more information, visit Kid Makers: Juneteenth Crafts. Juneteenth Celebration Picnic Saturday, June 11, 2022, 12 PM - 3 PM San Bruno City Park, near the Baseball Fields, San Bruno The San Bruno Culture and Arts Commission and the San Bruno Public Library invite you to celebrate Juneteenth in person at San Bruno City. Come enjoy opening remarks from community leaders, music, community, crafts, and a delicious lunch catered by the Famous Rib Shack. RSVP is required to join us for lunch, but no RSVP is required to attend the event! Sorry, lunch registration is full. Redwood City Public Library Celebrates Juneteenth (Virtual Program) Thursday, June 16, 2022, 6:30 PM Although Juneteenth may be a "new" observance to some, this freedom celebration has a long history among Black Texans and their family members who have migrated across the country. Join local poet Lois Fried for an evening combining history, poetry, and artwork to explore the legacy, traditions, and future of this important national holiday. Other Resources Check out our Staff Picks Reading and Watching lists for Kids, Teens, and Adults Check out Kanopy's Juneteenth film list This press release was produced by the City of South San Francisco. The views expressed here are the author's own.