Juneteenth Celebrations

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JUNETEETH CELEBRATIONS THIS WEEKEND

City of Richmond Juneteenth Parade and Festival: June 18, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Booker T. Anderson Center, Richmond.
This year will be Richmond’s first in-person Juneteenth festival since 2019. The parade will start at 10 a.m. at the Booker T. Anderson Center and end at Nichol Park, where a food festival and live music awaits. Free. ci.richmond.ca.us/

Pleasant Hill Juneteenth-Proud To Be — Partner Painting: June 19, 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. 548 Contra Costa Blvd., Pleasant Hill.
Celebrate Juneteenth with a night of painting led by instructors at Painting with a Twist. The whole family is welcome. $42. paintingwithatwist.com/

Resolution in Support of the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe’s Resolution SJR 13

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DPCCC membership approved the following resolution at the June 16, 2022 regular meeting.

WHEREAS, on March 07, 2022, a Senate Joint Resolution (SJR 13) was introduced by Senator Cortese and Coauthors Senator Wieckowski, Assembly Members Kalra, Lee, Low, and Robert Rivas, which would urge the United States Congress and the Department of the Interior and its Bureau of Indian Affairs to reaffirm and restore the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe as a federally recognized tribe and include the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe in the Federal Register as a recognized tribe; and 

WHEREAS, several California counties and elected officials have officially supported the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe in its efforts for recognition through legislation commending their efforts and historical and social accomplishments, supporting requests for historical claim by the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe, and urging the federal government to reaffirm and restore the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe as a federally recognized tribe; and 

WHEREAS, part of the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe’s aboriginal and ethnohistoric territory includes Contra Costa County; 

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Democratic Party of Contra Costa County supports the adoption of SJR 13 and calls on the Department of the Interior and the federal government to officially recognize the historical and social history of the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe by restoring the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe as a federally recognized tribe; and 

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this resolution will be sent to Chairman Dodd and the members of the Senate Committee on Governmental Organization urging the committee to hear and vote to pass SJR 13 onto the full Senate for debate and, at the discretion of the Chair and Executive Board, to any subsequent legislative committee assigned to consider and act on SJR 13. 

Submitted by Susan Hildreth, Elected Member, District 2, May 31, 2022

Proclamation in Support of June 2022 as LGBTQIA+ Pride Month

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DPCCC membership approved the following resolution at the May 19, 2022 regular meeting.

WHEREAS, Our nation was founded on the principle of equal rights for all people, but the fulfillment of this promise has been long in coming for many Americans. Some of the most inspiring moments in our history have arisen from civil rights movements that have brought one group after another from the margins to the mainstream of American society; and

WHEREAS, In the movement toward equal rights for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex and asexual (LGBTQIA+) people, a historic turning point occurred on June 28, 1969, in New York City, with the onset of the Stonewall Riots. During these riots, LGBTQIA+ citizens rose up and fought against the discriminatory criminal laws that have since been declared unconstitutional; and 

WHEREAS, Marsha P. Johnson, a black transgender woman, was an instrumental leader in the Stonewall Inn uprising and we honor her contribution to the LGBTQIA+ rights movement and we also must honor the intersectionality of LBTQIA+ persons of color who still face heightened discrimination to this day. We acknowledge that Pride Month intersects with the Black Liberation celebration known as Juneteenth. It is important to remember that Pride started as a defense on Black queer people 104 years after Juneteenth; and

WHEREAS, LGBTQIA+ pride celebrations have taken place around the country every June to commemorate the beginning of the Stonewall Riots; and

WHEREAS, June is celebrated as LGBTQIA+ Pride Month nationwide; and 

WHEREAS, Contra Costa County has a diverse LGBTQIA+ community that includes people of all ethnicities, religions and professions; and

WHEREAS, right-wing legislators around the country are attempting to turn back the clock and are once again targeting LGBTQIA+ individuals with the most heinous legislation stripping rights from trans youth and their families; and

WHEREAS, everyone should be able to live without fear of prejudice, discrimination, violence and hatred based on race, religion, gender identity or sexual orientation. 

NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Democratic Party of Contra Costa County celebrates June 2022 as LGBTQIA+ Pride Month and urges Contra Costa residents to respect and honor our diverse community and celebrate and build a culture of inclusiveness and acceptance. 

Proclamation in Support of Juneteenth, Sunday, June 19, 2022

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DPCCC membership approved the following resolution at the May 19, 2022 regular meeting.

WHEREAS, The first enslaved Africans were brought as captives to what is now the Commonwealth of Virginia in 1619 where they were bought and sold as slave labor for 250 years suffering unspeakable acts of violence; and

WHEREAS, President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863, declaring “that all persons held as slaves within the rebellious states are, and henceforward shall be free”; and

WHEREAS, The Emancipation Proclamation was the vehicle used to pass the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution abolishing slavery in this nation on January 31, 1865; and

WHEREAS, On June 19, 1865, Major General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas, announcing General Order Number 3 which ended both the Civil War and slavery; and

WHEREAS, June 19th has become a symbolic date, representing the freedom of African Americans and is recognized by 47 states and the District of Columbia, with Virginia, New York and Pennsylvania recognizing it as an official paid holiday for state employees; and 

WHEREAS, Our nation is facing a new reckoning as the legacy of sharecropping, Jim Crow, redlining and police violence against Black Bodies continues to pervade and permeate our society, institutions, and systems of law; and

WHEREAS, Although the 13th Amendment provided for freedom, it also laid the groundwork for mass incarceration within the African American community by stating “Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction”; and

WHEREAS, if Black Lives Matter, the Democratic Party of Contra Costa Party must acknowledge the history racism has played and continues to pervade and permeate our society, institutions, and systems of laws fostering many of the current-day disparities in education, health care, housing, and employment. NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Democratic Party of Contra Costa County hereby recognizes Sunday, June 19, 2022, as Juneteenth to acknowledge the historical significance of the day and commit the Democratic Party of Contra Costa County to working toward the dismantling of institutionalized racism.

2022 Primary – Democratic Endorsements

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To help voters fill out their June 7th 2022 Primary ballot, here is a list of the Democratic Party endorsements by office:

US Senator: Alex Padilla (Special Note: Please vote for Alex Padilla TWICE – once for the short term (balance of his appointed term) and once for the LONG term (the next 6 years)!)

US House of Representatives (District 5): Michael Barkley

US House of Representatives (District 9: Joshua Harder

US House of Representatives (District 10): Mark DeSaulnier

US House of Representatives (District 15): Kevin Mullin

Governor: Gavin Newsom

Lieutenant Governor: Eleni Kounalakis

Secretary of State: Dr. Shirley Weber

Attorney General: Rob Bonta

Treasurer: Fiona Ma

Controller: Malia Cohen

Superintendent of Public Instruction: Tony Thurmond

Insurance Commissioner: Ricardo Lara

Board of Equalization (District 2): Sally Lieber

California State Assembly (District 11): Lori Wilson

California State Assembly (District 14): Buffy Wicks

California State Assembly (District 15): Timothy Grayson

California State Assembly (District 16): Rebecca Bauer-Kahan

Contra Costa County Sheriff: Ben Therriault

Contra Costa County Superintendent of Schools: Lynn Mackey

Contra Costa County District Attorney: Diana Becton

Contra Costa County Assessor: Floy Andrews

Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors (District 1): John Gioia

NOTE: Contra Costa County Clerk-Recorder and Board of Supervisor (District 4) positions have several Democrats running for these offices – please vote for one of these great Democrats!