El Paso's 4th Juneteenth Festival Draws Multicultural Crowd

When Monica Tucker founded Black El Paso Voice, she dreamed of building bridges across cultures through celebration. On June 13, hundreds of El Paso families gathered at Nations Tobin Park to prove that dream alive and thriving.

The city's fourth annual Juneteenth festival kicked off a month-long celebration of African American culture and history. Free and open to everyone, the event drew parents, children, and community members from diverse backgrounds to honor June 19, 1865, the day federal troops arrived in Galveston to ensure the freedom of all remaining enslaved people in Texas.

City Representative Chris Canales read an official proclamation declaring Juneteenth National Independence Day in El Paso. "Acknowledge that the Fourth of July freed the land," he read from Mayor Renard Johnson's proclamation. "Juneteenth freed the people."

For Mayor Johnson, the celebration carried special meaning. As El Paso's first Black mayor, he stood in the same Northeast park where he grew up, leading a city that now has both its first Black mayor and first Black city manager.

Tucker, whose nonprofit partnered with the city's Parks and Recreation Department to host the festival, sees the event's growing relationship with city leadership as proof of progress. "The city and the residents noticed that the theme is special and it's cheerful," she said.

The multicultural turnout impressed attendees and organizers alike. Pastor Shelton Kelley of St. Peter Missionary Baptist Church celebrated seeing African Americans, Hispanics, and people of all backgrounds coming together. "We're all coming together to celebrate the independence of the actual nation," he said.

The Ripple Effect

The celebration's impact extends beyond El Paso's borders. Tucker noted that Juneteenth has become so significant in the region that people travel across the border to Mexico, where the holiday draws even larger celebrations.

Parents brought their children specifically to pass down history. Attendee Makalani Waldo hopes the next generation will remember "the history of Juneteenth and how it came to be, and unity and coming together as one."

Tucker emphasized why continuing these celebrations matters. "Once we stop celebrating and acknowledging our freedom, we become chained again," she said. Keeping history alive breaks mental barriers that limit what people believe they can achieve.

The El Paso Holy Royal Arch Chapter No. 90 served free hot dogs and drinks to families throughout the evening. Member Billy Michaels watched the crowd and smiled at how much the festival has expanded. "Every year it's gotten bigger and bigger," he said.

Tucker summed up the festival's message with words that echo the city's proclamation: "No one is free unless all are free."

Next June, organizers expect an even larger crowd as El Paso continues building its tradition of celebrating freedom together.

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