10 years in the making, Juneteenth in Spokane has just begun

By Meghan Henry

June 19^th has officially been named a federal holiday for all Americans. But for many communities across the country, Juneteenth has been celebrated wholeheartedly for generations.

In Spokane, Liberty Park has traditionally been the meeting site of these celebratory gatherings for a decade. The community was brought together by the churches in the area, who would all meet together for a potluck in the park.

Everything was planned by word of mouth. Everyone knew everyone from their church communities. But without this event being advertised to the public, it was not growing.

When co-founders of the Inland Northwest Juneteenth Coalition, Alan Jones and Michael Bethely, saw the community’s gatherings in 2011, they saw a future that celebrated the emancipation of enslaved people in America on a deservedly-massive scale.

Jones and Bethely paid out of pocket to fund the first INWJC-sponsored Juneteenth event. With no sponsors and no real mouthpiece besides their own connections within the community, it was small. But it was a start to something bigger.

“Some people came out just because they wanted to learn more,” Jones said. “We had people from all different races.”

By incorporating educational events and working with community leaders like the Carl Maxey Center and the Spokane Ministerial Fellowship, Jones and Bethely were able to build upon the history of Spokane’s Juneteenth events conceived by church leaders across the city.

Even more importantly, these community organizations are seeking to be educated on the history of Juneteenth – and with it, the historical reality of being Black in America.

Since 2011, the event has grown exponentially and so have the INWJC’s co-founders’ vision for it.

“When the event grows bigger, people want to come into town,” Jones said. “We need to bring Juneteenth on the same level as Unity and Community, Pig Out in the Park and Hoopfest.”

When leaders of community-driven events come together for the purpose of pushing their community and citizens forward, they dream big. Jones said he hopes to incorporate a comedy show and live performances from household name artists.

By focusing on education and the importance of spreading the word about what Juneteenth really means, another part of American history is spread through people of all ages, races and backgrounds.

“To be able to educate people on history, to let them know what the celebration is about, lets them know what the meaning is from and where the history that’s attached to it is from,” Jones said.

Lisa Gardner, director of communications and community engagement for the Spokane City Council, sees a flourishing future for both Juneteenth and Spokane’s once-buzzing cultural center on the east side of Spokane.

Fifth Avenue, specifically, held an enormous economic influence from the 1960s through the 80s. But as Spokane grew and Interstate 90 was built, the makeup of the city changed.

The cultural community and economic influence of Fifth Avenue and the east side was tragically lost with the division of the East Central Neighborhood.

Spokane Councilmember Betsy Wilkerson, has made it her mission to bring life back to Fifth Avenue through the 5^th Avenue Initiative.

A focus on improving housing and bringing businesses back to the area would give it the jumpstart it needs to become a place community members seek out for events, gatherings, new businesses and more.

Even more so, it would bring a cultural center back to Spokane that has been lacking since Fifth Avenue’s dwindling presence – a cultural center that could be the heart of Juneteenth celebrations for decades to come.

In order to begin this push for renewed life, members of the community have worked tirelessly to encourage community knowledge into community action.

“To bring the spotlight to Fifth Avenue, we need to engage the community,” Gardner said.

Some events have been strategically situated to bring a sense of community and joyous celebration to Fifth Avenue. This includes the vaccination clinic at the Martin Luther King Family Outreach Center; Liberty Park, the site of this year’s Praise in the Park and Community Book Drive; and the Emmanuel Family Life Center, where the Father’s Day Brunch will be held as a COVID-19-conscious drive-up event.

This year’s Juneteenth events are a part of this mission.

“For too long, it’s been that we just celebrated it on our own,” Gardner said. “We have to celebrate it together if we’re going to ever move forward and think that we’re together as a country. We need to celebrate as a country.”

As people come from all over the city and state this weekend to celebrate and learn about the history of Juneteenth, they will also be a part of creating the future of Spokane.