Dear Friends,

Happy Juneteenth! Today we celebrate the liberation of enslaved Americans as celebrated in 1865. I hope that we take a moment to honor the courage of individuals who fought for their freedom and the freedom of all Americans in the fight against slavery and later for civil rights.

Juneteenth is a day for reflection and recognition of how far we have come and yet how far we have yet to go, and the work that lies ahead that brings to mind in this moment Frederick Douglass’ admonition that “The whole history of the progress of human liberty shows that all concessions yet made to her august claims have been born of earnest struggle.”

I encourage folks to learn more about the history of Juneteenth and join in the celebrations at one of many local events happening throughout our area, including:

A Juneteenth Gathering | Christine Emerson Reed Park
June 19 @ 4–8 p.m.

Annual Juneteenth Celebration | Virginia Avenue Park
June 20 @ 1–7 p.m.

West Hollywood Juneteenth Celebration | West Hollywood Park
June 20 @ 3–7 p.m.

Juneteenth Heritage Celebration | Ovation Hollywood
June 20 @ 3–9 p.m.

Manhattan Beach Celebration | Polliwog Park
June 21 @ 2–7 p.m.

Free Park Passes: In celebration of Juneteenth and America’s 250th anniversary, California State Parks announced a special edition, free version of its Historian Passport to provide up to 4 people per pass with free access to over 30 state historic parks. Download the pass for free by July 6 and use it for unlimited visits to participating parks through the end of the year.

If you have any questions on this matter or need any assistance with the state government, please feel free to contact our Capitol office at (916) 651-4024 or our district office at (310) 414-8190. You can also follow us on social media or visit our website for additional updates from Sacramento and around the district.

Happy Juneteenth! 

Ben Allen
Senator, 24^th District