Palm Springs community celebrates Juneteenth, supports black-owned businesses
Members of the Palm Springs community came together to celebrate Juneteenth this afternoon with a barbecue outside of the James O. Jesse Desert Highland Unity Center. The day commemorates the emancipation of the last remaining African American slaves in the United States, which came two and a half years after President Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation.
“It’s been a part of my culture, as an African American since my existence,” says Sandra Austin, founder & CEO of Family Health & Support Network in Palm Desert.
Austin says she’s been surprised by the number of people in the community who were unaware of the Juneteenth holiday, but is excited to support the group of young advocates who planned this event.
“I want to do whatever we can to support them, because their voices need to be heard,” she said.
“That’s what we encourage our teens to do, we try to build them up in a way that they’ll go out and do just what those young advocates do,” Tanaya Hall, Director of Girls BRAAF at the Family Health & Support Network, added.
Austin, along with multiple black-owned business owners had tables at the park, where community members joined together to enjoy food, games, and music.
The granddaughter of James O. Jesse was one of those business owners, along with her sister-in-law. The two were inspired to start their businesses in recent months during quarantine. As newer businesses, they say they’ve felt the impacts of community support.
“Black owned businesses are becoming a thing right now, everybody wants to support in any way that they can,” said Kim Goree, owner of KG Photo Booth Company.
“We’re celebrating the unity of African Americans and it’s becoming more apparent now and it’s becoming supported, so it means a lot to us today,” said Jamiah Hall, owner of Baby Girl Soul Sweets and the granddaughter or James O. Jesse.
Amidst the celebrations, attendees also reflect on what the day truly means.
“I’d love for today to be a day that there’s enough literature, there’s enough talking about it, there’s enough sharing that our kids in the community, as well as the adults in the community leave here knowing what today is about,” said Tanaya Hall.
