Juneteenth commemorates the day in 1865 when enslaved people in Galveston, Texas, were informed of the Civil War’s end and their newfound freedom. The Eight Seconds Juneteenth Rodeo organizers thought a lot about those questions. Jones-Dixon wants Black Portlanders to see a version of themselves in a rodeo that is fun but that also makes them proud. Frederick says there remains a notion among Black Portlanders that the flooding was a convenient excuse for displacing the city’s thriving Black enclave. Having the rodeo near Vanport is a way of saying that this is an event for you, for us.

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Persons: Juneteenth, —, Biden, Vince Jones, Dixon, McClellan, Jones, Black Portlanders, Ivan, Lew Frederick, Frederick, ” Organizations: Expo, Oregon, Oregonian Locations: Juneteenth, Galveston , Texas, Portland, Gresham, American, Vanport, Black