There are many individuals who have had a hand in making Berkeley Juneteenth a success for over 38 years. Carla Oden, a local artist designed posters and our first street banner in the 1990s and 2000s. Oden also introduced consistent graphics branding. Reggie Greene created a blueprint for fundraising by researching the history of Juneteenth and then documenting it. Filmmaker Doug Harris created the first Berkeley Juneteenth Festival website; Artist Mildred Howard contributed banner designs to ensure that the tradition of Juneteenth continued in the neighborhood she grew up in. For 23 years, Lothario Lotho served as Festival MC until his death in 2011. Giselle and Lucky Thomas made volunteering on event day a family affair. Councilmembers Mary Wainwright and Maudelle Shirek established the co-sponsorship with the City of Berkeley. Vendors like Ashay by the Bay, and CJs BBQ have participated almost since the Festival’s inception.

This event is a demonstrated example of “Belonging”- our community engaging other communities to celebrate the Black experience…The tradition of Juneteenth in Berkeley will continue as long as the collective community is willing to step forward to make it happen.