Inland Northwest Juneteenth Events Aim to Preserve Black History and Culture

By Mia Gallegos | FāVS News

The Juneteenth Park Celebration is the largest event of the three-day long festivities planned by the Inland Northwest Juneteenth Coalition, taking place on Wednesday June 19. 

However, Alan Jones – one of the co-founders of the Spokane Juneteenth Celebrations – explained how attendance numbers are not something that the coalition focuses on when it comes to this holiday.

“It hasn’t always been about the quantity, it’s more about the quality of what we’re doing,” Jones said. He went on to say how one of the primary goals of keeping the celebration of Juneteenth alive in Spokane is for educational purposes.

“If you have knowledge and it’s not being passed down and taught, it will eventually be lost. Our whole purpose for this is to make sure this information and knowledge of this history can be repeated and taught,” Jones said.

Three-Day Celebration Kicks Off with Awards and Father’s Day Events

The three events that encompassed the weekend were the Pillar Awards on June 14, the Pre-Father’s Day Brunch on June 15 and the Juneteenth Park Celebration to conclude the festivities.

The Pillar Awards, coined as a “Black Carpet” event, are an award show that highlight various change-makers within Spokane’s black community. From individuals to non-profit organizations to churches and religious organizations, anyone who has been making an impact on the black and/or greater Spokane community has the potential to be nominated for an award at the ceremony. 

The Heartwood Award is also given out at the Pillar Awards, which is an award for an elder in Spokane’s African American community who has served a “meaningful part of the community’s foundation and identity”, per the INWJC’s website.

On Saturday, the Pre-Father’s day brunch took place, which was a chance to highlight Black father’s within Spokane’s community.

“Men of color aren’t always looked at as being great father figures for their kids. So we felt like it was important to highlight these fathers who are doing a good job. We want the community to see that there are men of color who are doing a good job at filling these roles,” Jones said. 

Jones also said that this event is a great chance to educate people on the history of the city and the fact that Father’s Day was actually started in Spokane back in the early 20th century. 

Jazz/R&B Concert, Family Festivities Headline Juneteenth Park Celebration

A new event being incorporated into the line-up this year is a performance by a Jazz and R&B duo from the East Coast called “Acute Inflections.”

“I brought it up to them about coming to Spokane and they were very excited about coming. If we want more acts to keep coming to Spokane, we have to show them they have a fanbase to come out to,” Jones said, detailing the reason behind the extensive advertising for this concert, which will be held the night before the Juneteenth Park Celebration in Spokane Community College’s Auditorium.

The Juneteenth Park Celebration will offer activities for the whole family. From spoken word poetry to bouncy houses, all ages will be accommodated for. There will be opportunities to support Black-owned and operated businesses with several local vendors and organizations present. The event will be from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the newly renovated Grant Park in the South Perry district.

For more information on the Park Celebration or the other Juneteenth events, visit the Inland Northwest Juneteenth Coalition’s website.