Juneteenth events across Oregon spotlight history and education amid national DEI debate

[00:00:13]Welcome back to K 2 News at 5.

[00:00:15]Continuing coverage now on Juneteenth.

[00:00:17]It is a federal holiday, but free entry into national parks is no longer happening. That's because Juneteenth is no longer part of free entry days after rules changed under the Trump administration. Remember last December the National Park Service announced the removal of both Juneteenth and Martin Luther King Jr. Day. This came after the president signed an executive order including ordering gift shops to take out items that back DEI programs.

[00:00:45]>> And those federal changes sparking reactions from community leaders with some worrying they could reduce public awareness of Juneteenth and black history. K2's Vasily Varlamos, rather, is live in Salem for us after speaking with organizers at a Juneteenth event.

[00:01:01]Vasily, tell us about it.

[00:01:04]>> Barry, while some leaders told me they're concerned changes to federal observances could make it harder to keep black history in the public conversation. Others say the debate itself creates new opportunities to educate people about what Juneteenth means.

[00:01:22]Juneteenth celebrations brought people together in Salem Friday to honor the day enslaved people in Texas learned they were free more than 2 years after the Emancipation Proclamation. The holiday is being observed this year as some federal agencies scale back cultural observances following President Trump's executive order targeting diversity, equity, and inclusion programs. Some community leaders worry the changes could reduce public understanding of black history.

[00:01:48]>> It really downplays uh the impact of the civil rights movement and the integration of black culture and other um predominantly oppressed cultures have had in America.

[00:02:00]>> Quinn Noddage with the Be Black Foundation says actions affecting cultural recognition can shape how future generations understand the Civil Rights Movement and the contributions of Black Americans. However, some see it differently. Salem Keizer NAACP President R.J. Hampton told me the national debate is an opportunity to reopen conversations about race and history that many people stopped having.

[00:02:22]Saying the greater risk isn't the debate over DEI, but people losing their connection to the history behind the holiday.

[00:02:30]Now, both leaders said the holiday remains an opportunity to teach history, reflect on progress, and ensure stories are passed on to future generations.

[00:02:40]Live in Salem, Vassili Barlaamas, K2 News.

[00:02:42]>> Vassili, thank you. And Portland is honoring Juneteenth tonight and through this weekend. Celebrations kicked off today, actually right now, a local club is hosting the Juneteenth Freedom Day event in Northeast Portland. This is the event's fourth year. It ends at 6:00, so you still got time to go there. We in fact stopped by earlier today to check it out.

[00:03:03]>> Now, we need to celebrate that we are free, that this is who we are. We're not um We're not going nowhere. You're not sending us home because this country was built on our backs.

[00:03:20]So, we need to celebrate that we are here.

[00:03:24]We're black and we're not going nowhere.

[00:03:27]>> If you missed the celebration today, check out some other Juneteenth events around the city tonight and this weekend like the Black Liberation Ride at Irving Park in Northeast Portland. This is free. It starts at 6:03. The event is celebrating its 11th year. Riders are encouraged to wear shirts and flags to proudly represent their cultures.

[00:03:47]>> And another Juneteenth event happening this weekend is the 8 Seconds Rodeo.

[00:03:51]It's also going to be in Northeast Portland Sunday at Veterans Memorial Coliseum. The event is celebrating its fourth year. Wranglers from around the country will compete in bull riding, bareback bronco riding, barrel riding, and other events, all for a share of the $60,000 prize. We spoke with the founder, Ivan McLennan, about the event and the black cowboy culture here in Portland.

[00:04:16]>> Black cowboy culture is is the sauciest, it's the most exciting, it's the most resilient, it's it's it's what I've dedicated my life to and bringing it to the Pacific Northwest and and celebrating the people that have come here before us, cowboys like George Fletcher and Jesse Stahl and LaTisha Carson and, you know, the Buffalo Soldiers who who forged the West and made it possible for us to live here as a big part of our event as well.

[00:04:46]>> And tickets for the 8-second Rodeo are still on sale at the event's website. It kicks off again on the 21st at Veterans Memorial Coliseum.