Locals celebrate Juneteenth in Marysville

Jun. 19—Residents from all across the region gathered together to celebrate Juneteenth as a new national holiday Saturday at Yuba Park in Marysville.

Juneteenth is a celebration to memorialize the day that the last enslaved people (learned) that the emancipation happened, according to event organizer Emma Hirshkorn.

The holiday commemorates June 19, 1865, when the end of slavery was announced in Galveston, Texas — more than two years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation.

President Joe Biden signed a bill earlier this week establishing June 19 as Juneteenth National Independence Day, a U.S. federal holiday commemorating the end of slavery in the United States.

For the last four years Hirshkorn has worked with her husband, Leonard Johnson to bring Juneteenth to the forefront again locally at Yuba Park.

Hirshkorn said when learning about Juneteenth she didn't realize how much history was right here in Marysville.

"They actually had the first Emancipation ceremony right here at this park a couple years after the Civil War," Hirshkorn said. "People would come from all over to Marysville to see how their relatives were doing. They did it every year for many years."

Hirshkorn said it's important that kids understand and learn their history.

With the help of The Village Yuba-Sutter co-founders Tonya Mack and Megan Anderson, the Juneteenth celebration in Marysville will continue for many more years.

Mack said she is planning to make the event an even bigger celebration on June 19, 2022.

Mack said they're in the process of forming a planning committee and accepting volunteers to be a part of future Juneteenth parties.

"It's about community," Mack said. "We want this event to celebrate the uniqueness of diversity that is here in Yuba-Sutter."

As an addendum, Mack said The Village Yuba-Sutter is working to enrich economic development and the negative impacts that mental health has had on the people of color over the last year and a half due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

"We want to open up this event for everyone to come and celebrate with us," Mack said. "We will receive you with open arms."

For more information visit Appeal-Democrat and The Village Yuba-Sutter on Facebook.