Celebrate Juneteenth with the Y
We invite you to join the Y and Tacoma Urban League at Stewart Heights Park on Monday, June 19 to celebrate Juneteenth! This year’s festival aims to create an opportunity for economic growth and set a path for financial stability within the BIPOC community and, of course, celebrate Juneteenth.
The Y will host a Hot Shot tournament at the festival, a basketball activity with designated spots around the court for individuals to shoot from and to score as many points as possible within a certain timeframe. Score will be kept, and the highest scorers will receive a prize!
WHEN: Monday, June 19 | 11am - 5pm
WHERE: Stewart Heights Park | 5715 Reginald Gutierrez Ln, Tacoma, WA 98404
What is Juneteenth?
Juneteenth is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States. Though the Emancipation Proclamation was signed on January 1, 1863, it took two and a half years for slaves in Texas to be told of their freedom. June 19, now known as Juneteenth, celebrates the day when all enslaved individuals in the United States became aware of their freedom.
Recommended Reading
The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson
This non-fiction book tells the story of the movement of Black Americans out of the South and into the Midwest, Northeast, and West during the 1900s and has been described as "profound, necessary, and a delight to read" by legendary novelist Toni Morrison.
Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates
A #1 New York Times Best Seller and winner of the National Book Award, Between the World and Me was written by Ta-Nehisi Coates as a letter to his then-teenage son about what it means to grow up as a Black man in America.
The Y’s Equity Statement
The YMCA of Pierce and Kitsap Counties is a champion of vibrant, healthy youth, families, and communities, and aspires to be the community gathering space where all people have the opportunity to thrive and achieve their full potential.
The Y stands for nondiscrimination, diversity, inclusion, and equity. We welcome all people regardless of ability, age, background, ethnicity, faith, gender, gender identity, gender expression, race, or sexual orientation. We are dedicated to removing institutional and systemic barriers that result in oppression and racism.