Juneteenth Celebration in Altadena 2022

Junteenth (Photo – Juneteenth Celebration in Altadena (Photos – kent.edu)

Learn the hidden history of Altadena at the 2022 Celebration, on June 18, where the first Ellen Garrison Clark Scholarship will be awarded.

By News Desk

The Altadena Historical Society, along with co-sponsors, Altadena Library and Shappo’s Environmental, Inc. is hosting a Juneteenth Celebration on June 18, 2022, at the Altadena Library from 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm.

The event celebrates the lives of African Americans who have contributed to the development of the Altadena community.

Juneteenth Independence Day is celebrated by African Americans in recognition of the emancipation of freed enslaved people in the South on June 19, 1865, nearly two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed into law, January 1, 1863.

In 2021, the Altadena Historical Society commemorated the life of Ellen Garrison Clark, a 19^th Century Civil Rights Activist and created a Scholarship Fund in her name. In her honor, this year, the Altadena Historical Society will award the Inaugural $1,000 scholarship to a 2022 John Muir High School graduating senior, at the Altadena Juneteenth Celebration. The Ellen Garrison Clark Scholarship Fund is made possible by the generous donations of the community in 2021 and 2022. This is a celebration of the history of our community. In the words of Ellen Garrison Clark, “We must lift as we climb.”

Ellen Garrison Clark was an African American woman, anti-slavery activist, civil rights advocate and educator who made the education of African Americans and their civil rights her mission in life. Clark died on December 21, 1892 and was laid to rest at the Altadena Mountain View Cemetery without a grave marker. She spent the final years of her life in the Altadena/Pasadena area teaching Blacks to read and write.  Last year the Altadena Historical Society celebrated Juneteenth by laying a headstone on Ms. Clark’s grave at Mountain View Mortuary in Altadena, 129 years after her burial.

More information on Ellen Garrison Clark and the June 18, 2022 event can be found at this link  or contact Veronica Jones at (626) 644-6760.

Juneteenth (officially Juneteenth National Independence Day and also known as Jubilee Day, Emancipation Day, Freedom Day, and Black Independence Day) is commemorates the emancipation of enslaved African-Americans. It is also often observed for celebrating African-American culture. Originating in Galveston, Texas, it has been celebrated annually on June 19 in various parts of the United States since 1865.  Juneteenth’s commemoration is on the anniversary date of the June 19, 1865, announcement of General Order No. 3 by Union Army general Gordon Granger, proclaiming freedom for enslaved people in Texas, which was the last state of the Confederacy with institutional slavery.