The Antioch City Council were joined by Police Oversight Commissioner Leslie May for a photo with their 2024 Juneteenth Proclamation by Acting Assistant City Manager and Parks & Recreation Director Brad Helfenberger as Acting City Manager and Economic Development Director Kwame Reed looks on during the council meeting on Tuesday, June 11, 2024. Video screenshot.
By Allen D. Payton
During their meeting last night, Tuesday, June 11, 2024, the Antioch City Council unanimously approved the following proclamation including promotion of this Sunday’s third annual City-sponsored event:
WHEREAS, Juneteenth is recognized as Freedom Day or our country’s second Independence Day;
WHEREAS, Juneteenth was the day that slavery ended in the United States resulting in the emancipation of all slaves and beginning the restoration of culture, name, language, faith, and identity;
WHEREAS, President Abraham Lincoln first issued the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863, freeing the enslaved people in the South, but those orders were ignored by Confederate Southern slave owners;
WHEREAS, on June 19, 1865, Union soldiers arrived in Galveston, Texas and enforced the President’s order, freeing the enslaved people two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation was issued;
WHEREAS, other systems of oppression and systematic inequalities, such as sharecropping, Jim Crow, redlining, and mass incarceration, the reverberation of Black bodies and Black impoverishment, continued well past slavery and some persist to this day, affecting the physical and mental health, safety, and even the continuing education of young African American children;
WHEREAS, liberation from these systems of oppression, demands nothing less than Black economic liberation manifested through financial literacy, a positive sense of self, an upright ethical and moral compass, high-earning jobs, mentors willing to share the means of self-improvement, and the ability to own the land in one’s own neighborhood;
WHEREAS, many African Americans have advanced academically, politically, and financially and continue to strive to build wealth within the Black community in and beyond; and
WHEREAS, on June 16, 2024, the City of Antioch will hold its Annual Juneteenth Celebration at Williamson Ranch Park, with speakers sharing our rich, proud history, music, ethnic foods, and activities. We invite all our brothers, sisters, and friends of every culture and ethnicity to join us for this historical event and celebration.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, LAMAR A. HERNANDEZ-THORPE, Mayor of the City of Antioch, do hereby acknowledge June 19th, 2024, as Juneteenth in the City of Antioch, the annual recognition of Black emancipation, the celebration of the past, present, and future of Black economic liberation, and our commitment to eradicate systemic racism that undermines our collective prosperity.
JUNE 11, 2024
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Following its reading and signature by Mayor Lamar Hernandez-Thorpe, the proclamation was presented to Antioch Police Oversight Commissioner Leslie May with whom the council members took a commemorative photo.
Enjoy live music from headliners The Main Ingredient and Slave
This year’s Juneteenth Celebration presented by Grace Arms of Antioch will be held on Saturday, June 15, 2024 and feature a Kids Corner, food, games, vendors and live music with headliners The Main Ingredient and Slave.
Juneteenth is the oldest known celebration commemorating the end of slavery in the United States. Though the Emancipation Proclamation was given by President Abraham Lincoln in 1863, the beginning of the end of slavery wouldn’t be recognized until sometime later – June 19, 1865.
Early celebrations date back to 1866, at first involving church-centered community gatherings in Texas. They spread across the South amongst newly freed African American slaves and their descendants and became more commercialized in the 1920s and 1930s, often centering on a food festival. Participants in the Great Migration brought these celebrations to the rest of the country.
The day was recognized as a federal holiday in 2021, when President Joe Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act into law. Juneteenth became the first new federal holiday since Martin Luther King Jr. Day was adopted in 1983.
Start of Juneteenth Celebration
When the American Civil War ended, the Union Army arrived in Texas led by Major General Gordon Granger who was given command of the District of Texas on June 10, 1865. On June 19, in the city of Galveston, one of the first orders of business was to post Granger’s General Order No. 3 to inform a reluctant community that President Lincoln over two years earlier had freed the slaves and to press locals to comply with his directive. His order began with:
“The people of Texas are informed that in accordance with a Proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free. This involves an absolute equality of rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves, and the connection therefore existing between them becomes that between employer and hired laborer.”
This set off joyous demonstrations by the freed people, originating the annual Juneteenth celebration, which commemorates the abolition of slavery in Texas. The celebration’s name is a blend of the words “June” and “nineteenth”.
Why did it take so long for the news to get to Texas?
There is no one reason why there was a two-and-a-half-year delay in letting Texas know about the abolition of slavery in the United States, according to Juneteenth.com. The historical site said some accounts place the delay on a messenger who was murdered on his way to Texas with the news, while others say the news was deliberately withheld.
Due to the delay, slavery did not end in Texas overnight, according to an article by Henry Louis Gates, Jr. originally posted on The Root. Gates said after New Orleans fell, many slavers traveled to Texas with their slaves to escape regulations enforced by the Union Army in other states.
Former California Supreme Court Chief Justice Rose Bird (Photo: CSCHS) and Senator Steve Glazer. (Official photo)
For reversing death sentences; plaques to be unveiled for Rose Bird at new plaza named for her in Capitol World Peace Rose Garden during Tuesday ceremony
Glazer was her spokesman during her failed 1986 retention campaign
SACRAMENTO – Former California Supreme Court Chief Justice Rose Elizabeth Bird will be recognized Tuesday, May 7, for her trailblazing work as a jurist – the first such public dedication in California.
Current Chief Justice of the California Supreme Court, Patricia Guerrero, and retired Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye, will lead the 10 a.m. unveiling of two plaques at the new Chief Justice Rose Elizabeth Bird Justice For All Plaza at the State Capitol World Peace Rose Garden 25 years after her death in 1999.
Speakers will also include Stephen Buehl, former Justice Bird’s chief of staff, Senator Nancy Skinner, D-Berkeley, the chair of the California Legislative Women’s Caucus, and Kathryn Meola, president of the Women Lawyers of Sacramento.
“Honoring Chief Justice Rose Elizabeth Bird is long overdue,” said Senator Steve Glazer, D-Contra Costa, who authored a resolution, SCR 47 (2023) to create her place of honor in the Capitol Rose Garden. Senator Glazer was Bird’s spokesman during her retention campaign in 1986. “We now have the benefit of time in recognizing her courage and integrity in upholding the Constitution and rule of law – especially in protecting the poor and oppressed.”
Justice Bird was the first woman Chief Justice of California; the first woman Chair of the Judicial Council; the first woman on a California Governor’s Cabinet and the first woman deputy public defender in Santa Clara County. She served as the Chief Justice under Governor Jerry Brown from 1977-1986.
She was also the first and only chief justice in state history to be voted out of office. Bird and three other justices voted to reverse murderers’ sentences, and she, two of her colleagues, Reynoso and Grodin, were subsequently voted off the state supreme court. Bird was overwhelmingly removed in the November 4, 1986, election by a margin of 67% to 33%.
What: The Unveiling of the Chief Justice Rose Elizabeth Bird Justice For All Plaza
When: May 7, 2024, 10 a.m.
Where: State Capitol World Peace Rose Garden
Speakers: Senator Steve Glazer; Patricia Guerrero, Chief Justice of California; Tani Cantil-Sakauye, retired Chief Justice of California; Stephen Buehl, chief of staff to Chief Justice Rose Bird, Senator Nancy Skinner, D-Berkeley, the chair of the California Legislative Women’s Caucus, and Kathryn Meola, president of the Women Lawyers of Sacramento.
By Juliet V. Casey, Director of Marketing, Los Medanos College
Pittsburg, Calif. – Los Medanos College (LMC) this year celebrates its golden anniversary, and to kick off recognition of its 50 years of excellence in education, workforce training and innovation, the college released its 50th Anniversary logo.
The golden logo harkens back to LMC’s retired brand. At the center, the stylized compass rose in which each direction spells LMC is indicative of its mission to help students find their future. While that mark has gone out of use, it remains a sentimental favorite among alumni and long-time residents of the East Bay community.
The anniversary logo’s looping five and zero of the 50 touching the inner golden circle conveys the infinite search for knowledge and truth, and unwavering service for the greater good. The Contra Costa Community College District (4CD) opened Los Medanos College in Pittsburg in 1974 to serve east Contra Costa County. Today, its service area includes Pittsburg, Antioch, Bay Point, Clayton, parts of Concord, Brentwood, Oakley, Knightsen, Bethel Island, Byron, and Discovery Bay. It is the third of three colleges within 4CD.
“Over the past five decades, LMC has grown and adapted to the needs of our students and the greater community,” President Ralston said. “Our program offerings have grown to over 90, we’ve added the new state-of-the-art Brentwood Center, and we have established ourselves as a cultural focal point for the community. Looking ahead to the next 50 years, we are focused on continuing this legacy with our alumni leading, innovating and shaping a sustainable and equitable future for generations to come.”
For LMC, 2024 will be a golden year of celebrating its collective successes and achievements. LMC in the past year has emerged in the Top 150 U.S. Community Colleges for the fifth consecutive time. The college is among the best community colleges for math, according to BestAccreditedColleges.org, and LMC athletes consistently win the conference and make it into post-season play.
Stay tuned for upcoming events throughout the year.
About Los Medanos College (LMC): LMC is one of three colleges in the Contra Costa Community College District, serving the East Contra Costa County community. Established in 1974, LMC has earned federal designations as a Minority-Serving and Hispanic-Serving institution. It offers award-winning transfer and career-technical programs, support services, and diverse academic opportunities in an inclusive learning environment. With exceptional educators, innovative curriculum, growing degree and certificate offerings, and state-of-the-art facilities, the college prepares students to succeed in their educational pursuits, in the workforce, and beyond. LMC’s Pittsburg Campus is located on 120 acres bordering Antioch, with an additional education center in Brentwood.
Join us Saturday, March 30th Noon-4pm in Antioch’s historic, downtown Rivertown district for our 7th Annual Easter Egg-stravaganza!
An afternoon filled with Easter fun with a store-to-store Easter Egg Hunt at 3pm sharp! There will be an Easter Egg Hunt and photos with the Easter Bunny at Waldie Plaza, 101 H Street, Antioch, CA.
Bring the kids, a big Easter basket and come join the fun!
The Pan-African flag seen flying on pole at City Hall on Feb. 29, 2024. (Photo by Allen D. Payton) and the flag on display on the council dais during their Feb. 13, 2024, meeting. Video screenshot.
Originally intended to fly all February in honor of Black History Month
By Allen D. Payton
During their Tuesday, Feb. 27, 2024, meeting the Antioch City Council voted unanimously to display the Pan-African Flag at City Hall. The council then took a break and raised the flag on the City’s flagpole in recognition of Black History Month in the City of Antioch. However, before voting on the resolution, the council added an amendment to the motionto fly the flag until Juneteenth on June 19th, 2024. The flag had previously been displayed on the council dais during their Feb. 13th meeting.
Mayor Lamar Hernandez-Thorpe, Mayor Pro Tem Monica Wilson and District 1 Councilwoman Tamisha Torres-Walker were dressed in African-style clothing. Earlier that day, during the ceremonial oath of office for new Interim Police Chief Brian Addington, the mayor shared he was wearing a Dashiki from Nigeria for the occasion later that evening. District 1 Councilman Mike Barbanica later said that the mayor provided him and District 3 Councilwoman Lori Ogorchock with African-style scarves to wear during the council meeting.
The council members were dressed in African-theme clothing during their meeting on Feb. 27, 2024. Video screenshot
According to the city staff report on the agenda item, “The City received a request from Antioch ACCE (Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment) to fly the Pan-African Flag, also known as the Afro-American Flag and the Black Liberation Flag, at Antioch City Hall.
The Pan-African Flag is a tri-color flag consisting of three equal horizontal bands, which are red, black, and green. The three colors on the Pan-African Flag each have a symbolic meaning:
Red represents the blood that unites all people of Black African ancestry and that was shed for liberation.
Black represents people whose existence as a nation, though not a nation-state, is affirmed by the existence of the flag.
Green represents the abundant natural wealth of Africa.
The flag is also referred to as the Marcus Garvey flag after the Jamaican political activist, and founder and first President-General of the UNIA. According to the history of the flag on the UNIA website, “Alternatively, it has been explained by journalist Charles Mowbray White that Garvey proposed the colors for the following reasons: ‘Garvey said red because of sympathy for the ‘Reds of the world’, and the Green their sympathy for the Irish in their fight for freedom, and the Black- [for] the Negro.’”
Tashina Garrett was joined by other ACCE representatives as she spoke about the Pan-African Flag during public comments during the Antioch City Counci meeting on Feb. 27, 2024. Video screenshot
Before the council’s vote on the resolution, a group of residents representing ACCE gathered with Tashina Garrett who spoke during public comments and offered additional historical information about the flag.
“It was created to represent the people of the African diaspora and to symbolize Black liberation in the United States,” she said. “As flags symbolize the union of governance, people in territory, this flag was created to give Black people in America and the world over the symbol that unifies the diaspora. The red which symbolizes our blood that was shed. The black symbolizes those bodies that were beat and burned and everything else. And the green represents the land that was stolen. I appreciate you guys giving us the opportunity to even fly this flag.”
Thorpe said flying the flag would not preclude other flags from flying at City Hall and explained why it wasn’t flown until the last three days of Black History Month.
“This request came in from ACCE Antioch and they did submit it in a timely fashion. It should have been flown the entire month of February. The mayor messed up,” he stated. “Because we had a new process. I assumed it was an administrative process and we looked at the policy, again and I said, ‘Thomas (City Attorney Smith), you need to review this and send it to council. So, it came on to this meeting.”
He then made the request to fly it through June saying, “That’s my request for dropping the ball and making it up to ACCE Antioch.”
As Wilson was making a motion to fly the flag, Thorpe asked it be flown through the end of May. Someone in the audience suggested flying it until Juneteenth and Wilson changed her motion to include that. Barbanica seconded the motion and without further comments by council members it passed 5-0.
The council then took a brief recess to raise the flag on the pole outside City Hall.
RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF ANTIOCH DIRECTING STAFF TO FLY THE PAN-AFRICAN FLAG AT ANTIOCH CITY HALL THROUGHOUT THE MONTH OF FEBRUARY 2024 IN RECOGNITION OF BLACK HISTORY MONTH
(with the amendment to display the Pan-African Flag until Juneteenth 2024)
WHEREAS, in 1920, the Pan-African Flag, also known as the Black Liberation Flag and the Afro-American Flag, was adopted by the UNIA at a conference in New York City;
WHEREAS, the Pan-African Flag is a tri-color flag consisting of three equal horizontal bands, which are red, black, and green;
WHEREAS, the three colors on the Pan-African Flag each have a symbolic meaning: Red represents the blood that unites all people of Black African ancestry and that was shed for liberation; Black represents people whose existence as a nation, though not a nation state, is affirmed by the existence of the flag; and
Green represents the abundant natural wealth of Africa;
WHEREAS, many of the residents, students, employees, and business owners within the City of Antioch who contribute to the enrichment of our City are a part of the African American community;
WHEREAS, African Americans serve as leaders in all professional fields, make contributions that strengthen the fabric of American society;
WHEREAS, African Americans should feel safe to learn, grow, work, and enjoy their lives without the fear of discrimination, harassment, or hate crimes;
WHEREAS, the African American civil rights movement has achieved great progress, but there is more work to be done within our nation;
WHEREAS, the Pan-African Flag, also known as the Black Liberation Flag or Afro American Flag, has been used since the 1920’s as a symbol of freedom and unity;
WHEREAS, flying the Pan-African Flag at City Hall throughout the month of February further symbolizes the City’s celebration of diversity and support for the African American community;
WHEREAS, the Pan-African Flag has been raised around the world as a symbol of freedom, unity, inclusion, belonging, and hope for members of the African American community;
WHEREAS, the City of Antioch will be offered a Pan-African Flag by residents of its community who request to fly the flag at City Hall during Black History Month; and
WHEREAS, the City Council is open to considering similar requests to fly flags celebrating the efforts of other nationally recognized civil rights movements that strive for equal rights and equal protection under the law for groups that have historically endured and sought to overcome unlawful and unjust discrimination within our country.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the City Council of the City of Antioch hereby resolves as follows:
1. The Acting City Manager or designee is directed to fly the Pan-African Flag, also known as the Black Liberation Flag and the Afro-American Flag, at City Hall throughout the month of February 2024 in recognition of Black History Month in the City of Antioch.
2. This resolution shall become effective immediately upon its passage and adoption.”
According to the City staff report, the flag was provided to the City by residents of the community.
