Activism

‘Rooted in the Town’ Juneteenth Celebration of Freedom Awards Held in Oakland

The Celebration of Freedom honorees included Children’s Fairyland Executive Director Kymberly Miller, Construction Resource Center Executive Director Len Turner, and clothing designer Taylor Jay of Taylor Jay Collections.

Published

12 months ago

June 23, 2024

Carla Thomas

Councilmember Treva Reid presents honoree Children's Fairyland Executive Director Kymberly Miller with the Celebration of Freedom Award at the Juneteenth Rooted In the Town Celebration of Freedom Awards in downtown Oakland. Photo by Carla Thomas.

By Carla Thomas

On Saturday, June 15 the Juneteenth Celebration of Freedom Awards were held at the California Ballroom, MC’d by Emeryville Mayor Courtney Welch and hosted by Oakland City Councilmembers Kevin Jenkins, Treva Reid, and Carroll Fife. This year’s theme was ‘Rooted in the Town.’

Reid passionately spoke of the Council’s accomplishments, while Fife spoke of the need for the City of Oakland to have a Black agenda to meet the urgent needs in the community.

Miller, who joined Children’s Fairyland in August 2019, previously worked with Girl Scouts of Northern California for 11 years. Her experience in youth development, relationship with community leaders, and the Oakland business community have positioned her as a champion for Fairyland.

Turner previously worked for CADAM-Lockheed, IBM, and Disneyland before he and his family established the largest minority general contractors’ business in the Bay Area, the Turner Construction Group. His sister and co-founder, LaTanya Hawkins, accepted the award on his behalf.

Jay has been in the fashion industry for 14 years and became an entrepreneur at 23. She currently runs two boutiques in the Bay Area offering luxury fashions. Jay celebrates women of all sizes and is a proud mentor of aspiring entrepreneurs.

Entertainer Dee Dee Simon sang soulful R&B favorites. The singer was in town briefly in between America’s Got Talent tapings. DJ Chanel spun familiar songs and anecdotes between speeches and commentary.

Journalist Carla Thomas and Post News Group Publisher Paul Cobb were present at the awards ceremony. Courtesy photo.

Carla Thomas

Posts by Carla Thomas

Up Next

Rep. Jamaal Bowman Battles for Political Survival Amidst Contentious Primary in New York’s 16th District

Don't Miss

S.F. Black Wallstreet Hosts Black Print Gala

Carla Thomas

Click to comment

Activism

Oakland Post: Week of June 4 – 10, 2025

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of June 4-10, 2025

Published

5 days ago

June 7, 2025

Oakland Post

To enlarge your view of this issue, use the slider, magnifying glass icon or full page icon in the lower right corner of the browser window.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Activism

Remembering George Floyd

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — Minnesota State Attorney General Keith Ellison acknowledges that the Floyd case five years ago involved a situation in which due process was denied, and five years later, the president is currently dismissing “due process. “The Minnesota Atty General also says, “Trump is trying to attack constitutional rule, attacking congressional authority and judicial decision-making.” George Floyd was an African American man killed by police who knocked on his neck and on his back, preventing him from breathing.

Published

2 weeks ago

June 2, 2025

Oakland Post

Mural showing the portrait of George Floyd in Mauerpark in Berlin. To the left of the portrait the lettering "I can't Breathe" was added, on the right side the three hashtags #GeorgeFloyd, #Icantbreathe and #Sayhisname. The mural was completed by Eme Street Art (facebook name) / Eme Free Thinker (signature) on 29 May 2020. (Wikimedia Commons)

By April Ryan
BlackPressUSA Newswire

“The president’s been very clear he has no intentions of pardoning Derek Chauvin, and it’s not a request that we’re looking at,” confirms a senior staffer at the Trump White House. That White House response results from public hope, including from a close Trump ally, Georgia Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene. The timing of Greene’s hopes coincides with the Justice Department’s recent decision to end oversight of local police accused of abuse. It also falls on the fifth anniversary of the police-involved death of George Floyd on May 25th. The death sparked national and worldwide outrage and became a transitional moment politically and culturally, although the outcry for laws on police accountability failed.

The death forced then-Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden to focus on deadly police force and accountability. His efforts while president to pass the George Floyd Justice in policing act failed. The death of George Floyd also put a spotlight on the Black community, forcing then-candidate Biden to choose a Black woman running mate. Kamala Harris ultimately became vice president of the United States alongside Joe Biden. Minnesota State Attorney General Keith Ellison prosecuted the cases against the officers involved in the death of Floyd. He remembers,” Trump was in office when George Floyd was killed, and I would blame Trump for creating a negative environment for police-community relations. Remember, it was him who said when the looting starts, the shooting starts, it was him who got rid of all the consent decrees that were in place by the Obama administration.”

In 2025, Police-involved civilian deaths are up by “about 100 to about 11 hundred,” according to Ellison. Ellison acknowledges that the Floyd case five years ago involved a situation in which due process was denied, and five years later, the president is currently dismissing “due process. “The Minnesota Atty General also says, “Trump is trying to attack constitutional rule, attacking congressional authority and judicial decision-making.” George Floyd was an African-American man killed by police who knocked on his neck and on his back, preventing him from breathing. During those minutes on the ground, Floyd cried out for his late mother several times. Police subdued Floyd for an alleged counterfeit $20 bill.