250 People in Attendance at Juneteenth Celebration in the Belle Haven neighborhood of Menlo Park, CA
Belle Haven Action (BHA) and the City of Menlo Park hosted a Juneteenth Celebration on June 18, 2022 with 250 people in attendance. BHA is a community organization that advocates for the residents of the Belle Haven neighborhood. BHA partnered with the City of Menlo Park to host the event.
Cecilia Taylor, founder and Executive Director of Belle Haven Action said “the event was a huge success and I am so proud of my community and all of the participants.” The event featured musical entertainment by The TeBo Experience and Ballet Ma Ba, a Congolese dance troupe led by Miayuku Boukaka.
In addition to the festivities, a number of other projects contributed to the event. Soultown Magazine launched the BHA Neighborhood Legacy Project: an oral history recording booth that captured stories of the neighborhood’s residents to preserve the neighborhood’s legacy. Participants also contributed to a Freedom Wall with the caption “What Freedom Means to Me.” All of this was live streamed by Street Code Academy.
Participants were also provided onsite blood pressure, blood glucose, and COVID-19 rapid tests courtesy of Worksite Labs. Representatives from the Belle Haven Community Development Fund, The Belle Haven Climate Change Community Team, Belle Haven Empowered, Fit To The Core and CALTRANS District 4 were there to connect with community members, Live in Peace demonstrated their community bike repair and shared information about their apprenticeship program. Juanita Croft, Belle Haven Community Development Fund Board Member said “This community celebration is exactly what we needed. Acknowledgement of this holiday in the neighborhood is encouraging. Let’s celebrate Juneteenth like this every year.” Cee’s Fried Chicken, Flamin’ Dog, Kona Snow Cone, and Cafe Zoe provided refreshments. Cora’s Knits and Crochet and Lovey’s Beads were on hand to exhibit their wares. Taylor went on to say “other highlights of the event was the interest and participation of the neighborhood’s youth, and also watching generations of family members celebrating together.”
Long Time Residents and former residents are invited to share their stories with the BHA Neighborhood Legacy Project. Upcoming opportunities will be scheduled soon.
For More Information Contact:
Belle Haven Action
650 257 0357