In the East Bay, thousands of people gathered to celebrate Juneteenth, the day the nation’s last remaining enslaved people learned they were free. “Juneteenth celebration is a celebration of the freedom of slaves, so as a result we want to celebrate African Americans,” Juneteenth organizer Mika McCants said. And African American pride was on full display. Bay Street Emeryville is hosting its third annual Bay Area Black Expo; more than 100 black owned businesses and artisans set up shop to showcase the rich culture of African Americans. “It’s important for our young people to really understand where they come from so having days like this and having them come out and see the beautifulness, the richness of our culture. There are different hues of Black people, we come from different avenues and being able to come together culturally is important,” Dr. Dela Morris said. The expo also included a fashion show featuring the unique creations of local black designers including Cardum Sage of Oakland, who just returned from New York Fashion Week. “I grew up here and I got my artistry really at home and this is the place. This is the hot bed of innovation,” Sage said. In Contra Costa County, the city of Antioch’s Juneteenth event is focused on families. Kids are enjoying carnival rides, and the city has an evening of family friendly performances planned. Those out celebrating say it’s a time to recognize their community’s resilience and talent. “Got to make time to look at African-Americans and see what they’ve done to survive. Comedy laughter, going out dressing up the best you can, having some fun,” Kalid Maky said. “We are designers were architects. We are philanthropists. There’s so much Rich history that people need to know about African-Americans,” Morris said. ...read more read less