It is held on June 19, to mark the date in 1865 when Union soldiers rode into Galveston, Texas and told a group of slaves that the Civil War had ended and they were now free. President Abraham Lincoln had signed the Emancipation Proclamation two years earlier, but news of that document and of the end of the war traveled slowly.
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Around Southern California there are many events planned to commemorate Juneteenth on Friday. Here are some of them:
Crenshaw: 2 p.m. Black Tradition Caravan & March. Starting at Martin Luther King Jr. and Barack Obama boulevards.
Downtown Los Angeles. 10 a.m. Juneteenth March For Our Lives. Starting at Flower and Washington and ending at Grand Park. Sponsored by Los Angeles Trade-Technical College ASO.
Inglewood: Juneteenth parade. 12 p.m. - 2 p.m. Event will start at The Forum in the Kareem Court, 3900 W. Manchester Blvd. Motorcade will travel through Inglewood, View Park, Windsor Hills and the Crenshaw District, ending at the Pray for the Hood event hosted by music artist and entrepreneur Six Sev.
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Leimert Park: 11 a.m. - 7 p.m. Leimert Park Rising - 11th annual Juneteenth celebration. Leimert Park Village, W. 43rd Pl. and Degnan Boulevard. Event features live performers, vendors, drum circle, voter registration.
Pomona. 8 am. March from the African American Museum of Beginnings parking lot (1460 East Holt Ave., Pomona) to theJuneteenthMonument at Ganesha Park (1575 N. White Ave., Pomona). Presented by Black Arts Los Angeles.
Santa Monica: "Morning Yoga Flow for Black Lives." Meet at 9 a.m., starts at 10 a.m. Clover Park, 2600 Ocean Park Blvd. Event is described as a peaceful protest and healing gathering.
South Los Angeles: Note: Event is on Saturday, June 20. 10 a.m. - 12 p.m. Free food distribution and information session. Presented by the Los Angeles Black Worker Center. 5350 Crenshaw Blvd., Los Angeles.
Van Nuys / Sherman Oaks: Juneteenth celebration rally. 3 p.m. Van Nuys / Sherman Oaks Memorial War Park, 14201 Huston St., Sherman Oaks. Event organized by Cre8thechange will include performances, food, games and a voter registration table.