While this June 19 is just the fourth to be officially recognized nationwide as a federal holiday, the upcoming Juneteenth celebrations throughout the country and in the Tri-Valley are aimed at recognizing the more than 150-year history of Juneteenth, with the occasion being marked throughout the Tri-Valley and the region’s largest celebration set to return to Livermore.
The Tri-Valley Juneteenth Festival, which is now in its fifth year but only its third at Livermore’s Bankhead Plaza, is back on Saturday (June 15), showcasing dancing, music, speeches and local Black-owned businesses in celebration of the 158th anniversary of the first Juneteenth in 1866 that marked the end of slavery in the United States.
The event is expected to garner hundreds of attendees, with Las Positas College President Dyrell Foster and activist Ramona Tascoe set to speak at the free, family-friendly event organized by Tri-Valley for Black Lives (TV4BL).
Bay Area performer, community organizer and educator Jamey Williams is set to host this year’s six-hour lineup, with this year marking his first time at the event.
“I am excited to see how the Tri-Valley does Juneteenth,” Williams said in an announcement from TV4BL. “We are going to sing and dance and have a great time celebrating this important holiday.”
Following the numerous performers and speakers in the hours-long lineup kicking off at 10 a.m. Saturday, the celebration is set to continue with the East Bay Get Down Dance Battle from 4-6 p.m. More information and a full lineup of performers and vendors is available on TV4BL’s Facebook page.
While the upcoming festival is the main Juneteenth event in the Tri-Valley, the holiday is also set to be marked starting with a smaller celebration at the Pleasanton Public Library as part of its Cultural Celebration series followed by a three-night run of the one-act play “The White Card” hosted by Asbury United Methodist Church.
The celebration hosted by the Pleasanton’s Library and Recreation Department is set to consist of two hours of music, dance, arts and craft booths, and live storytelling from author and podcast host Brother Ben Tucker.
The program will also feature performances by Cheza Nami and the Pleasanton Unified School District Step Team.
The event is free and open to the public, scheduled from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday (June 15) on the patio of the Firehouse Arts Center at 4444 Railroad Ave.
The staged reading of “The White Card” – written by Claudia Rankine and set in 2017 following the 2016 election – is set to be held at the church located at 4743 East Ave. in Livermore next Tuesday through Thursday (June 18-20) at 7:30 p.m., with all performances free and open to the public.
The approximately hour-long performances will be followed by discussions with the cast, including Apryl Chauhan, Don Faul, Kim Risedorph, Truett Malakoff and Jon Hart.
The upcoming show is directed by Martie Muldoon, who was a cast member in the play last winter during a production organized by Pittsburg Community Theater and the Pinole Community Players, according to an announcement from organizers with the church.
The experience inspired Muldoon to bring the production to the Tri-Valley, event organizers said, with the church’s anti-racism committee sponsoring the production after she approached them with the idea.
“‘The White Card’ stages a conversation that is both informed and derailed by the black/white American drama,” Rankine said in a quote provided by church organizers. “The scenes in this one-act play, for all the characters’ disagreements, stalemates and seeming impasses, explore what happens if one is willing to stay in the room when it is painful to bear the pressure to listen and the obligation to respond.”
