WSLC kicks off Juneteenth week with IG Live event

Instagram Live panel at 5 p.m. Tuesday; plus see other Juneteenth events

UPDATE (June 16, 2021) — You can watch Tuesday’s Instagram Live event here.

All are invited to join the Washington State Labor Council’s Racial Justice Committee for an Instagram live at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, June 15 kicking off the week of Juneteenth.

Juneteenth is a time for celebration, PRIDE, lifting up Black history as collective history, and making space for Black joy. Join April Sims, Andrea Vaughn, and Cherika Carter in conversation about what the holiday means to them, how they started commemorating it in their own lives, and celebrating Blackness in all its forms. And they’ll share some awesome events — and where to go to learn more — so you can join in the celebration as well.

Follow the WSLC on Instagram and turn on post notifications to get a heads-up when the event goes live at 5 on Tuesday.

Any questions for our panelists? Send a message on Facebook or Instagram, or email Sarah Tucker.

Following are some other local Juneteenth events planned this week. (If you know of others, please let us know and we’ll add them to the calendar.)

THURSDAY, JUNE 17

BREMERTON — Join NAACP Bremerton for a Juneteenth Resource Fair on Thursday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Cloverleaf Parking Lot in front of the Old K-Mart, 4200 Wheaton Way in Bremerton. There will be free food boxes, a COVID vaccine clinic, food trucks, and community resources available. Get details.

ONLINE — Puget Sound Advocates for Retirement Action will present “The Art of Grace in the Face of History,” a special event honoring Juneteenth at 6 p.m. on Thursday. Jaye Ware, a playwright, spoken word artist and poet, will produce a poetry/storytelling/music workshop. Register via Zoom.

FRIDAY, JUNE 18

ONLINE — Join the PNW Teamsters National Black Caucus for its Juneteenth Lunch and Learn, a commemoration via Zoom of Juneteenth past, present and future, on Friday from noon to 1 p.m. Dr. Sharon Knight will explore “Interrupting the Cycle of Cultural Suicide.” This event is also co-sponsored by the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists and the Washington State Labor Council, AFL-CIO. Get details.

ONLINE — NAACP Snohomish invites all to a Virtual Panel on the State of Black Community in Snohomish and Nationally. at 6 p.m. on Friday via Zoom. The event will be hosted by Dr. Janice Greene, President of the NAACP Snohomish County, and panelists will include Dr. Paul Pitre, Dr. Yvonne Terrell-Powell, Louis Harris and Simone Tarver. Get details and register.

SATURDAY, JUNE 19

SEATTLE — APRI Seattle celebrates Emancipation Day… All Day Long. It begins at 9 a.m. with a car rally and motorcade that begins at the ILWU Local 19 Hall (3440 E. Marginal Way S.) at 9 a.m. and ends at Terminal 46 main truck entrance (Alaskan Way & S. Atlantic St.) at 10 a.m. There will be speakers and musical entertainment at Terminal 46 from 10 a.m. to noon (masks required). At 2 p.m., there will be a live-streamed commemoration outside the historic Central area home (1419 24th Ave.) of renowned Afro-Filipino longshoreman and founding ILWU member Frank Jennings, which is about to be demolished. Download the flier for details.

KENT — Kent Black Action Commission, Pit-Master E-Jay BBQ, and Eagle’s Nest Community Kitchen will host Taste of Juneteenth from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday at Morrill Meadows Park, 10600 SE 248th St. in Kent. Then, gather later, at home or with friends, from 3-6 p.m. to view the Virtual Juneteenth production here LIVE. Get details.

SEATTLE — All are invited to Juneteenth – It Takes a Village, a unique annual event space from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Othello Park, 4351 S. Othello St. in Seattle. Come celebrate the Black community and learn about the Black experience while sharing in the diversity of culture that makes up our neighborhoods, connecting people to resources they need to live their best lives while enjoying a day spent in and with community, sharing food, ideas, goods, and more. Get details.

SEATTLE — King County Equity Now and Africatown Community Land Trust will host the Juneteenth Freedom March and People’s Assembly starting at 1 p.m. on Saturday. The march will start at 23rd and Madison and end at Jimi Hendrix Park. Live performances by Sevyn Streeter, Gifted Gab, Communion, and more. Get details.

BELLINGHAM — All are invited to the Bellingham Unity Committee’s Annual Juneteenth Celebration on Saturday from 3 to 7 p.m. at Maritime Heritage Park, 500 W Holly St. in Bellingham. Bring your food and blanket to spread on the grass around the Maritime Amphitheatre for this community picnic and enjoy live funk, soul, R&B and reggae music, dance performances, community step, community art wall, community organizations tabling, and more. Get details.

TACOMA — LegallyBLACK Presents the Juneteenth Royal Masquerade Gala on Saturday from 6:19 to 9 p.m. at the Washington State History Museum, 1911 Pacific Ave. in Tacoma. Grab your masks, wear your finest, and join us for a magical night to celebrate Black culture and unite our community through education, performing arts, good food, and networking — all sourced by local Black-owned businesses and entertainers. Tickets are $40. (This event is SOLD OUT!) Get details.

KIRKLAND — Join Meaningful Movies in Kirkland on Juneteenth (June 19th) for its first live event since the start of the pandemic. Coded Bias, a powerful film about the impact of technology on civil rights and privacy, will begin at 8 p.m. Saturday followed by a discussion. The event will be held outdoors at Northlake Unitarian Universalist Church, 308 4th Ave. S. in Kirkland. Get details.