NORTH PARK (KGTV) — Louisiana Avenue in North Park was the place to be on Friday, as community members gathered to celebrate Juneteenth with live music, shopping, and local vendors selling clothes, food, and souvenirs.
The event was designed to spotlight Black-owned businesses and honor the meaning behind the federal holiday. Juneteenth marks June 19, 1865, when enslaved African Americans in Galveston, Texas, learned of their freedom — more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed. It is recognized as a day to remember and celebrate freedom and the ongoing contributions of Black Americans.
Among the vendors was Dalesean Lynch, who runs a mobile boutique out of a converted van.
"I used to sell all my products out of the trunk of my car and I just got fed up with it and I was like you know I wanna create a presentation that you will never forget and this is it right here when you come in here it's good energy, it smells good and it's just a vibe," Lynch said.
Lynch was also debuting a new Juneteenth-themed T-shirt carrying a message of peace.
"We did also come out with a new, a new Juneteenth t-shirt as well here. The one that I'm wearing and like I said, Walk Away No Drama Day is all about promoting peace, promoting love and um like I said this is a beautiful day and I'm just glad to be here again," Lynch said.
Event organizer Tanisha Newman said the timing of the celebration was intentional.
"Actually having the event on Juneteenth is our way of getting louder when people are trying to silence us. If things are going to be happening to where this day will not be remembered forever, we are going to do our part to make sure it is," Newman said.
The event also featured booths focused on financial literacy, including a vendor representing World System Builder, a national financial literacy campaign. Janelle Brown-Peters explained why bringing that resource to a Juneteenth celebration felt meaningful.
"This is a day that we celebrate. We love our Juneteenth...so just to remember the things that our people went through and how they started with nothing and a lot of them still have nothing. Bringing this on this day is a reflection of you know how far we've come and how much work we still have left to do," Brown-Peters said.
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