🎉 Free Juneteenth celebrations

Where To Celebrate Juneteenth In Seattle

Juneteenth was first recognized as a federal holiday in 2021, but it’s been celebrated since the day it commemorates: June 19, 1865, the day the Union General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas, bringing with him the news that slavery and the Civil War had ended. In other words, Juneteenth is the day when enslaved Black people in Galveston, Texas, were finally informed of their freedom, a full two and a half years after President Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation. Our friends at the South Seattle Emerald have a full list of ways to celebrate this historic day:

• Free celebrations in the park: Join Africatown Community Land Trust (ACLT) for Juneteenth Freedom Fest at Jimi Hendrix Park with R&B singer Marsha Ambrosius. Tickets are free, and there is an option to make a donation. The Northwest African American Museum (NAAM) is also hosting its annual Juneteenth celebration. It’s in Judkins Park with local artists, hands-on family activities, performances, a FIFA World Cup watch party, and food vendors. All attendees will also receive free admission to NAAM. [South Seattle Emerald]
• Celebrate PNW artists: The Royal Room is hosting a Juneteenth tribute to poet and singer Gil Scott-Heron and musician Brian Jackson. The event features a nine-piece band with "some of the best artists in the Pacific Northwest," like Ayesha Brooks, Shakiah Danielson, Darrius Willrich, Ricardo Guity, Owuor Arunga, Chris Patin, Darian Asplund, Dan Rapport, and Camilo Estrada. And The Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle (ULMS) is hosting its 5th-annual Juneteenth pop-up market. Created to eliminate barriers Black-owned businesses face, REVIVAL showcases local Black visionaries. [South Seattle Emerald]
• Donate a day’s wage: If the federal holiday means you have the day off, consider participating in the ‘A Day’s Wage’ campaign to donate the equivalent of one day’s Juneteenth holiday pay to a local Black-led organization such as The Lavender Rights Project, Creative Justice NW, Wa Na Wari, Trans Women of Color Solidarity Network, Tubman Health, and many more.

⚡Electric bills could increase $10 a month: Over the next two years, Seattle City Light is looking to raise electric bills by 9.5% a year. That’s equivalent to roughly $10 more a month for customers. If you guessed the increase is because of extreme weather, you’d be right. But you’d also be right if you guessed electrification of buildings and cars, higher AC adoption, or deferred maintenance. Yikes. [Seattle Times]

🧑🏻‍💻 UW adding AI minor to 2027 school year: The program is meant to engage with the “societal aspects of AI” that go beyond technical training. To accomplish this, the minor will be led by computer scientist Magda Balazinska and anthropologist Ben Marwick. It will also include representatives from 18 academic units. The program may be a first step toward an AI institute. [GeekWire]

💐 Three deaths mark tragic uptick in cyclist fatalities: Seattle went almost two years without a cyclist death, but in six months, three cyclists have been killed by drivers: Alley Rodriguez on Beacon Ave, Christian Salyer on 12th Ave, and Maridee Bonadea on SW Wildwood Place. Bonadea was headed to an anti-ICE protest downtown and was a lifelong LGBTQ rights activist. For more on cyclist safety, listen to today’s podcast. [Vashon Beach Comber]