The Louisiana Purchase restaurant and the non-profit Black San Diego hosted a Juneteenth block party on Friday in North Park.
Louisiana St. in North Park was shut down between University Ave. and Wightman St. from noon to 6 p.m.
People packed the street for a mini-farmers market, local Black-owned businesses sold food, clothes, jewelry and more next to a stage for performers outside of the cajun and creole restaurant.
Kids played basketball and got their faces painted while music played in the summer sun.
Organizer Tanisha Newman, the events coordinator with Louisiana Purchase, said it was the second time they’ve hosted the block party and that she was excited for another chance to bring the community together.
“Juneteenth is a very special day for many, not even here just in San Diego, being the inaugural day for our freedom,” Newman said. “We like to say freedom is an action verb. It is something that you have to do as we work towards, whether it be freedom of speech, celebration, joy and we just wanted to have a space where people genuinely and intentionally felt free to be their best selves.”
Newman said the event is a way to share the community space they’ve built at Louisiana Purchase.
“We are Juneteenth every day of the week here, but for this specific date, we like to make sure that we expand…what we have in here, out to the streets, out to the community, and out to North Park,” Newman said.
Juneteenth is the anniversary of June 19, 1865 when the last enslaved Black Americans learned they were free. There are several other Juneteenth events happening in San Diego County that you can check out here.
