More Info About 2024 Joy for The People Block Party - June 15, 2024 | 11 AM - 6 PM
JUNETEENTH SANTA BARBARA
“JOY FOR THE PEOPLE”
BLOCK PARTY, SATURDAY JUNE 15, 2024
Celebrating the Emancipation of formerly enslaved Black/African Americans
SANTA BARBARA, CA—Juneteenth Santa Barbara welcomes the community to the seventh year of celebrating Juneteenth in South Santa Barbara County!
The free block party celebration will be on Saturday, June 15, 2024, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., in historically Black Santa Barbara, also known as the Funk Zone, on the 100 block of Gray Avenue in Santa Barbara.
The celebration includes local live performances, the return of the Black Artisan Market, The Indy Parenting kids zone with Princess Tiana from Princess & the Frog and the Santa Barbara Public Library on the Go Van, the Basketball Shooting Competition, and so much more! As this is the first celebration without our founding Elder Sojourner “Joy” Kincaid Rolle, our theme honors her and her legacy: Joy for the People — Juneteenth SB partners with logistics and event consultant Melanin Culture Co. to organize the annual event.
Block Party Performers & Vendors
Coming to the stage for this event is local Black talent Vivian Storm as our MC, Talitha Blackwell, Pastor David Moore, Aria Elan, Kat Lincoln, Brayell, The AD Project, P Money Experience, and The Knew Vibe, with DJ Tempest.
The Black Artisan Market includes Baked by the Hoods, Big Mama’s Preserves, Cookie Plug, Country Gal Clothing, Dawn Carlson Designs, Dez Porter, Elf Kraft, Gypsy Moon House, Healing Justice SB, My Mother is A Superhero, Moore on Health, Riah Safari, ShevaShea, Steven Harper, To Live A Colorful Life, and Warrior Mother Essential Oils & Blends.
Our community nonprofits that will be tabling include Austin Jones Realty/Investor, Future Leaders of America, Girl Scouts of Central Coast, The Inclusion School, MLK Jr. SB, NAACP Santa Barbara, Planned Parenthood, Sansum Clinic now part of Sutter Health, Santa Barbara Neighborhood Clinics with Voter Registration, Starfish Connection Talk O Truck, and UCSB Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., Nu Nu Chapter and Xi Kappa Omega Chapter.
There will also be food trucks and vendors, such as Dave’s Dogs, Fernando’s Churros and Deli Inc., Mister Softee, Mony’s Tacos, and Soul Bites.
Launch of the State of the Black Santa Barbara County Community Survey
Juneteenth SB will launch the State of the Black Community Survey at the Block Party. This comprehensive survey, which will close on October 1, helps gather data about the Black community across Santa Barbara County. UCSB Center for Evaluation is facilitating the survey, and the Santa Barbara Foundation and NAACP Santa Maria—Lompoc are sponsors.
Sustainable Travel to Juneteenth Santa Barbara
Please make a conscious choice to have a lower environmental impact by traveling to Juneteenth SB by bike, bus, or train. This upcoming weekend will be busy with UCSB graduation. We encourage you to check out Amtrak if you are traveling from out of town, Santa Barbara MTD if you are coming from within Goleta to Carpinteria, or if you can consider biking as MOVE Santa Barbara County will valet your bike for FREE at the Block Party.
Peace of Mind: Leave your bike with our trusty MOVE Santa Barbara County bike valets, who will keep it safe and secure throughout the event.
Skip the Hassle: No more searching for crowded bike racks or worrying about finding a safe spot to lock your bike.
Arrive & Depart Quickly: The bike valet allows for quick drop-off and pick-up of your bike, keeping you at the heart of the Juneteenth celebration.
National History of Juneteenth
During Juneteenth, we continue a Black/African American tradition of celebrating the abolishment of enslavement with interactive art, songs, food, and our vibrant Black/African American community.
We are reminded that the first Juneteenth celebration on June 19th, 1865, in Galveston, Texas, marked the day Union General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston and issued General Order Number 3 enforcing the Emancipation Proclamation:
“The people of Texas are informed that, in accordance with a proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free,” the general noted. “This involves an absolute equality of personal rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves, and the connection heretofore existing between them becomes that between employer and hired labor.”
Before this act, Texas, along with several communities in the American South, still invested in the economics of slavery. These areas that were isolated politically and geographically from much of the country resisted emancipation and continued the practice of enslavement.
“Although General Granger and his news of freedom were celebrated,” said Ruskamp. “The full text of the order made clear that progress would be slow going, as enslaved people were encouraged to stay and work for their former owners and instructed to refrain from idleness. The first Juneteenth celebrated the federal government for acknowledging Black personhood and intentionally made space for Black folks to organize and plan for the long struggle towards full citizenship. I’m passionate about seeing this tradition continued in Santa Barbara as it is also an acknowledgment of the work still needing to be done to create more equitable communities.”
Juneteenth Santa Barbara History
Federally recognized in June 2021, Black/African American communities across the country have marked Juneteenth with celebrations and organizing efforts centered on supporting and uplifting Black life. Chiany Dri, Simone Ruskamp, and Jordan Killebrew brought a reiteration of Juneteenth (in its seventh year) back to Santa Barbara, as several Black/African American Elders have celebrated in our region in the past.
In 2018, Ruskamp, Dri, and Killebrew gathered to celebrate Juneteenth at El Centro on the lower west side of Santa Barbara. This first event featured home-cooked Soul Food, Black-centered programming, and, most importantly, a safe space for the community to celebrate Black culture. Juneteenth SB partnered with the Santa Barbara Public Library the following year, where the event grew to 400 people. In 2020, due to COVID-19, the celebration was a virtual event with over 13,000 viewers and featured videos of Black community members sharing their stories, showcasing their work, and their collective histories.
In 2021, Juneteenth SB partnered with Healing Justice Santa Barbara to put on a series of events in-person and virtual events and the historic opening of the MELANIN Black Artist Gallery at 833 State St., Santa Barbara, CA 93101.
The 2022-2024 has been Block Party celebrations that were moved to Grey Avenue in the Funk Zone and what we call Historically Black Santa Barbara. The events expanded to include a large stage, more local performers, the Black Artisan Market, and more. In 2022, the theme was Caring for The People, and just under 3,000 people attended. In 2023, the theme was Nourishing The People, and over 3,000 people attended; this year, the 2024 event theme is Joy for The People; we changed the date to a Saturday and expect 4,000 - 5,000 attendees.
Thank you to our 2024 Community Partners (Sponsors)
Special thanks to everyone who contributes to making this day possible. It truly takes a community! Donations can still be made to Juneteenth Santa Barbara—DONATE TODAY!
Thank you to our Platinum Community Partner, the City of Santa Barbara, and the California Arts Council.
Thank you to our Gold Sponsors, the City of Goleta, the County of Santa Barbara, Cox Communication, Fielding University, Healing Justice SB, the Santa Barbara Foundation, and Santa Barbara Independent and Indy Parenting.
We would also like to thank our Silver Community Partners, Golden1 Credit Union, Island View Outfitters, Sparks Creative Events, Sansom Clinic, now part of Sutter Health, Starfish Connection, along with the Bronze Community Partners: American Riviera Bank, The Fund for Santa Barbara, High Desert Screen Printing & Island View Outfitters, McCune Foundation, Montecito Bank & Trust, Oniracom, Pacific Pride Foundation, SBCC Foundation, SURJ Santa Barbara, and Unitarian Society of Santa Barbara.
This year, we added a Grass Roots Community Partner tier, including the County of Santa Barbara Women’s Commission, Future Leaders of America, Moms Demand Action, County of Santa Barbara District 2 Supervisor Laura Capps, and The VOID SB Gym.
We are also grateful for our donors! Thank you to Hillary Allen, Jett Black-Maertz, Kristin Bollingmo, Lucille Boss, LA Clinton, Caylee Daniel, Jillian Ellis, Jesse Felix, Melissa Hansen, Lily Heidger, Nellie Hill, Emily Izmirian, Joan K. Jones, Kaylan Lamb, Chelsea Lancaster, Etta Murray, Michele Osborne, Sarah Payne, Diana Collins Puente, Allison Quijano, Arriana Rabago, Quetzal Sanchez, Tamesha Schumacher, Jessica Self, Erin Wilson and Laura Wooster Dorfman.
Thank you!
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About Juneteenth Santa Barbara
Juneteenth Santa Barbara (JSB) celebrates the national recognition of Black Independence Day in Santa Barbara. Now in its seventh year, this event, a collaborative showcase of Black culture, talent, and joy in our region, centers around a free community block party that will be held in historically Black Santa Barbara, now known as the Funk Zone.
With a theme of “Joy for The People,'' the free community block party will honor the cultural connection and ancestral ties of Black/African-American food to our community.
The community can enjoy live local music, dancing, poetry, spoken word, artist exhibitions, storytelling, soul food, graduation wall, and honoring our ancestors, including Sojourner Joy Kincaid Rolle. We will also have the Black Artisan Market, which includes Black-led community organizations.
Year-round, Juneteenth Santa Barbara utilizes its platform to uplift all Black/African American-led/serving organizations. JSB is key in supporting Black History Month events, the Community Calendar, and monthly Santa Barbara County Black Leaders Meetings.
We look forward to bringing joy to our community by celebrating local Black efforts and opportunities to engage with meaningful partnerships and relationships. We hope you join in on the fun!