11 min listen
The Woman Who Kept Juneteenth Alive in San Francisco
FromThe Bay
ratings:
Length:
14 minutes
Released:
Jun 19, 2019
Format:
Podcast episode
Description
San Francisco's Juneteenth, a commemoration of the end of slavery, is one of the largest gatherings of African Americans in California every year. This year's Juneteenth parade was named in honor of Rachel Townsend, a leader in San Francisco's black community who died of sudden illness in 2018. Townsend was active in San Francisco and Oakland politics and fought to keep Juneteenth in San Francisco despite the city's shrinking black population. At its peak in the 1970s, 13 percent of the city was black. That's compared to just about 5 percent in 2017. Rachel Townsend's father says events and buildings named after his daughter are a great honor and a reminder of the city's black history.
Guest: Rev. Arnold Townsend, father to Rachel Townsend, Board Member of the African American Art and Culture Complex, and Vice President of the San Francisco NAACP
Guest: Rev. Arnold Townsend, father to Rachel Townsend, Board Member of the African American Art and Culture Complex, and Vice President of the San Francisco NAACP
Released:
Jun 19, 2019
Format:
Podcast episode
Titles in the series (100)
We Reserve The Right: An Oakland coffee shop that refuses to serve uniformed police officers attracts pro-Trump protesters. Coffee shops are often seen as symbols of gentrification. This one is trying not to be that. - Guest: Janelle Bitker, East Bay Express staff writer by The Bay