Local NAACP Branch Hosts Stellar Juneteenth Celebration

On June 20th, local NAACP Branch 1034 (Lake Elsinore/Southwest Riverside County) hosted a fantastic Juneteenth Celebration at the Lake Elsinore Diamond Stadium. More than 1,200 people attended the first annual Juneteenth event, according to the event sponsor, Diamond Stadium.

The celebration was advertised in the months before as, “a powerful evening of networking, culture, food, live entertainment, dancing, vendors, and community empowerment.” The NAACP Branch team delivered on those promises with more than 30 vendors present from Southwest Riverside County: Black-owned businesses, community organizations, and churches, to name a few. Attendees were able to shop and gather information in the vendor hall throughout the evening. Diamond Taproom provided a variety of food and drink offerings and featured a special Juneteenth punch for the event.

In addition, numerous speakers, musicians, and dancers entertained the crowds. The dance group, Joyful Feet of Menifee, invited audience participation in their popular line-dancing routines, filling the dance floor all evening.

The evening's program began with a welcome from Branch President Rosie Brady, who spearheaded the organization of the event. Students of the California Cadet Corps presented the colors, and the national anthem was sung by Branch Fundraising Chair and event co-organizer, Lauren Venerable. Branch Religious Chair Pastor Willie J. Oliver offered a prayer, honoring God in the celebration of freedom which Juneteenth commemorates.

Patrice Harris sang “Lift Every Voice and Sing”, a hymn by James Weldon Johnson written in 1900, which has become known as “The Black National Anthem” and is the official NAACP song. President Brady also recognized Branch officers and chairs in attendance, giving special recognition to the “Matriarch of the Branch”, Mary Venerable, who at 90 years old sits as a Board Member Emeritus for the Branch.

Lake Elsinore Councilman Tim Sheridan also welcomed guests to the event on behalf of the City of Lake Elsinore.

Throughout the evening, there was a constant flow of entertainment with DJ Isaiah of Okzay Entertainment filling in the spaces between. Grace and Truth: Generation J performed music, and Kenny Allen from the Whisper Experience also sang.

A western theme was promoted for the evening: “boots on the ground.” Attendees came out in full array: boots, hats, and the Juneteenth color red. There was joy and celebration, prayer, praise, singing, and dancing, as local citizens gathered to remember Emancipation and the strength of the Black Community.

Juneteenth began as a spontaneous celebration on June 19th, 1865 when enslaved Africans in Galveston, Texas finally learned of the Emancipation Proclamation, which freed all slaves. The African Americans in Texas learned they were freed more than two years after the proclamation was written, and they rejoiced! Since then, Juneteenth has spread throughout the nation. It has grown to be an important date on the Black American calendar with it becoming a federally recognized holiday in 2021 with overwhelming support in both houses of Congress. Today, Juneteenth is a holiday for all Americans to commemorate the ending of slavery in the United States of America.

Planning for the local NAACP Juneteenth Celebration began last winter when former Branch President Myles Ross partnered with Diamond Stadium CEO, Shaun Brock, to host a Juneteenth Celebration at the venue. As the largest sponsor of the event, Diamond Stadium made it possible for the non-profit NAACP to offer free admission to the community.

NAACP Branch 1034 offers its deepest thanks to Shaun Brock and all the Diamond Stadium staff.

The Branch thanks Ryan Lewis and the Lake Elsinore Unified School District for their generous sponsorship of the celebration. The Branch also thanks Adam Eventov of SoCalGas, who helped make the Juneteenth event possible.

The Juneteenth celebration was clearly a community generated and community supported event, where people and organizations of all backgrounds came together to celebrate and promote unity in the local community.

NAACP Branch 1034 President Rosie Brady stated, “Juneteenth 2025 at Diamond Stadium marked a message, a moment, and a movement with over 1,200 in attendance in Lake Elsinore and demonstrating that NAACP Branch 1034 is here and a force to be reckoned with--for fun and excitement in celebrating future Juneteenth events.”

The NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) Branch 1034 invites all community members to join us in building bridges within the community. We are a nonpartisan organization which aims to increase understanding and civility in our public discourse. We represent the communities of Lake Elsinore, Murrieta, Temecula, Corona, Norco, Canyon Lake, Wildomar, Menifee and Perris. Please visit our website at naacpbranch1034.org

Founded in 1909 by Black and white activists, the NAACP is the nation’s oldest and largest civil rights organization. The mission of the NAACP is to achieve equity, political rights, and social inclusion by advancing policies and practices that expand human and civil rights, eliminate discrimination, and accelerate the well-being, education, and economic security of Black people and all persons of color.