Events
The City of Richmond came alive Saturday as thousands of festivalgoers gathered at Nicholl Park for the annual Juneteenth Parade and Festival, marking one of the largest celebrations of African American freedom and culture in the Bay Area.
The day began at 10 a.m. with a parade that wound its way from Cutting Boulevard through 37th Street and Macdonald Avenue, featuring classic cars, the Richmond High School Marching Band, city departments, and community organizations.
Grand Marshal Art Johnson, a retired Richmond Police Department Captain, reflected on the historical significance of the day as he surveyed the celebrating crowds following the parade.
Johnson was one of the Black Nine, a group of Richmond Police officers who filed the first internal lawsuit in a police department in the United States challenging racial discrimination in 1968.
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“On Juneteenth, in my city where I live, work, and retired from, it’s an honor to look around and see all these people enjoying themselves the way it should be,” Johnson said.
While Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863, Johnson said, “it wasn’t until June 19, 1865, that the word reached Galveston, Texas. Back then, there was no television or telephone, so the military brought the good news.”
Johnson emphasized the unifying power of such community gatherings.
“This kind of gathering helps unify us as a people. We should be united all over the world,” he said, adding his hope for positive change in national leadership.
The event at Nicholl Park transformed the venue into a celebration of Black culture and heritage, featuring dozens of vendors offering food and handmade crafts, and community resources.
A dedicated youth zone kept families engaged with games, art activities, and educational programming about the significance of Juneteenth.
This year’s festival continued Richmond’s tradition of honoring Juneteenth as both a historical milestone and a contemporary call for unity, justice, and community celebration.
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