Five years after Juneteenth became a federal holiday, dozens gathered at the County Courtyard on Wednesday morning for Redwood City’s second Juneteenth Flag Raising Ceremony, where speakers called for deeper investment in Black communities across San Mateo County.
Central to many of the speeches by city officials and other local figures was how to better support Black residents of San Mateo County, from addressing displacement to improving access to health, education and economic opportunity.
City Council member and former Menlo Park Mayor Cecilia Taylor noted that Menlo Park has the second-largest Black population in the county. Specifically, Taylor noted that Black residents of Belle Haven, a Menlo Park neighborhood, once made up 97% of the community but now hover at about 6%.
“How are we assuring that Black Americans in San Mateo County have access to a high quality of life, eliminating barriers and disparities, freedom from poverty, freedom from poverty pimping, freedom from barriers and social health determinants, freedom from health disparities, freedom from under investment, freedom from disinvestment, freedom from miseducation, freedom from obesity, freedom from stress, freedom from structural and systemic racism,” Taylor said.
County Supervisor Lisa Gauthier reiterated the importance of remembrance and advocacy.
“This day serves as a powerful reminder of the resilience, brilliance and unbreakable spirit of Black Americans who fought for liberation and who continue to shape the story of this nation here in San Mateo County,” Gauthier said. “We are committed to ensuring that Juneteenth is not just a date on the calendar, but a call to action. A call to building systems that are fair, communities that are inclusive and opportunities that reach every resident.”
On June 19, 1865, two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed, “news of freedom finally reached those enslaved in Galveston, Texas,” Gauthier said. Juneteenth has long been celebrated in Black communities, well before becoming a federally recognized holiday. It is considered a second Independence Day for the United States, according to the National Museum of African American History and Culture.
For many, the June 16 flag-raising was more than symbolic.
“I’ve celebrated Juneteenth for more than 30 years of my life, and I’ve never been in the city where they raised the Juneteenth flag,” said poet Cherie “Chillin’” Kabba. “So, shout out to San Mateo County.”
The celebration was a space to highlight the Black communities of San Mateo County and vocalize the pressing issues.
For Taylor, Juneteenth provides a unique opportunity to learn about the history of Black Americans and to question what more can be done for such communities. “What are you willing to do to improve the quality of life of our black families?” Taylor asked.
“I’m hoping that now that it is a holiday that folks are taking the day and utilizing their time as far as learning more about Juneteenth, learning how they can support communities around what Juneteenth means, and then if they don’t know, to educate themselves,” Taylor said in an interview with the Redwood City Pulse.
Menlo Park will be hosting its annual Juneteenth celebration on Friday at the Belle Haven Community Campus. In partnership with Belle Haven Action, an advocacy nonprofit founded by Taylor for the neighborhood’s residents, the celebration will once again feature the Freedom Wall, where attendees can answer the question of what freedom means to them.
In her speech, Taylor recited some of the wall’s responses from over the years.
“Freedom Wall 2025. Freedom means being exactly who I am. I can make space wherever I am, because we are free,” Taylor said. “Freedom means living the life you want, pursuing your passion, and working in the profession you love, freedom means when people are, when people are conscious of their oppression and elect to do something about it. Freedom is community.”
Two members of the Black Youth Advisory Board, a Bay Area Community Health Advisory Council initiative, also spoke at the flag raising about Juneteenth as a reminder to persevere, to continue the fight for racial justice and a moment that honors the struggles of Black Americans.
The Juneteenth Flag was raised, adorned with the Pan-African colors. Gauthier explained the colors’ significance: Black, symbolizing the people and their strength; Red, for bloodshed and sacrifice in the pursuit of freedom; Yellow, for rich heritage and culture; and Green, for growth, renewal and thriving communities. For Gauthier, the colors were raised as a symbol of history and hope.
“When I looked out and I saw the kids and the community and the staff, everyone taking their time to come out to support, it really felt like a community and my heart is just warm,” Gauthier said in an interview with the Redwood City Pulse. “We’re a diverse community; we need to celebrate our differences and this is something that’s important. Black history is American history.”
Gauthier encouraged residents to attend Juneteenth events across the county, but said the holiday should be about more than festivals.
“Please go out and enjoy the food, the community, the music, but really just embrace it,” Gauthier said. ”Because right now more than ever we need to show some unity in this country.”
