WHAT IS JUNETEENTH?
Juneteenth (short for “June Nineteenth”) marks the day when federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas in 1865 to take control of the state and ensure that all enslaved people be freed. The troops’ arrival came a full two and a half years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation. Juneteenth honors the end to slavery in the United States and is considered the longest-running African American holiday. For more information, visit History.com.
Photo Credit: MGN
MEET THE YOLO JUNETEENTH ORGANIZERS
Sandy Holman
Director, The Culture C.O.-O.P.
Juneteenth Master of Ceremonies
Sandy Holman is the Director of the Culture C.O-.O.P and United and Unity, organizations which promote systemic change, inclusion, equity, cultural competency, literacy and a quality education for all.
She has presented to thousands of youth, adults, organizations and institutions on a variety of topics such as transforming systems, inequitable structures, dismantling racism/ supremacy ideology, the achievement gap, P-16 education, literacy, resiliency, addressing the whole child, and institutional best practices for change.
Sandy has focused special attention on the importance of culturally relevant and responsive services and materials, as well as on increasing cultural competency in educational and service-oriented settings, for over 35 years.
Her priority is facilitating systemic change and approaching historic isms, oppression, supremacy ideology, injustice and inequity from a comprehensive and holistic perspective.
She facilitates a paradigm for transforming individuals, communities, systems and beyond with her new documentary, “The Cost Of Darkness,” which is designed to examine the root causes of systemic inequity so policy development, strategic planning and interventions will be more impactful.
Sandy loves working on Juneteenth with her colleagues on the committee and is affectionately known as the Purple Lady.
Scott Love
Library Regional Manager - West Yolo Region
Juneteenth Director of Fundraising & Sponsorship
A native of La Mesa, Ca., Scott has worked in libraries for over 35 years. He has been a regional manager for Yolo County Library for 6 years. He has been married for 30 years and has two children. Scott is an ardent baseball fan and enjoys nature. He has felt it a great honor to work on the production of the Yolo Juneteenth event annually, and was a catalyst behind making the event an annual celebration in Yolo County.
Katrina Laws-Ewald
Juneteenth Art & Education
"Make Black Art" Coordinator
Katrina Laws-Ewald is a Youth Services Librarian for the Yolo County Library at the Mary L. Stephens Davis Branch. As a child her one wish was the ability to know everything. She believes she was "called" into Librarianship as her life purpose which allowed her to have access to all books, stories and knowledge. When asked, she uses her feisty librarian superpowers to fight for social justice. In addition to the Juneteenth Team she currently serves on the Yolo County Health and Human Services Agency Black/African Diaspora Work Group which supports projects that help the African American community of Yolo County.
Ruby Buentello
Juneteenth Volunteer Coordinator
& Outreach
Ruby Buentello is an Outreach and Programming Librarian for the Yolo County Library at the Mary L. Stephens Davis Branch. You can often find her out in the community at outreach and educational programs.
Dr. Vickie Gomez
UC Davis Director of Campus and Community Engagement
As Director of Campus and Regional Community Engagement my primary responsibility is to provide vision and leadership for the campus in the development, management, implementation and evaluation of strategic, initiatives projects/programs and policies to improve campus climate and community relations in support of the Universities’ Strategic Plan for Diversity and Inclusion. Moreover, my work focuses on community engagement that strengthens relationships with the campuses surrounding communities, as well as organizations that champion K-12 pipeline programs. Service, learning and teaching are embedded in the university mission which also highlights the essential elements of what I do.
Stephaney Cortes Alvarado
Juneteenth Youth Activities
& Social Media
Stephaney Cortes Alvarado has worked for Yolo County Library since 2018. She loves doing outreach and Bilingual Storytime for kids at the Library.
NJ Mvondo
Davis Human Relations Commission Chair
NJ Mvondo is a Davis, CA, resident and social entrepreneur, founder of Multiculturalism Rocks, the Interactive Healing Arts Project, and the Davis Network for Africa (DNA), among other projects. She is an Ethnic Studies consultant for the Davis Joint Unified School District. She currently serves her community as the chair of the Davis Human Relations Commission, and the chair of the Yolo County Climate Action Commission.
Joan Tuss
Juneteenth Volunteer Coordinator
& Marketing
Joan Tuss is a Adult Services Librarian for the Yolo County Library at the Mary L. Stephens Davis Branch. You can often find her out in the community at outreach and educational programs. If you see her at Juneteeth, please stop by and say hello.
Huda Abdelnur
Juneteenth Teen Outreach Coordinator
Huda is currently college student born and raised in Davis, CA. Ultimately she wants to pursue a degree in Urban Studies because it draws from different perspectives to create sustainable solutions to urban issues. Primarily, she wants to work on fostering community engagement and assess what local communities need in order to create effective policies that make resources accessible to every population. She has been enjoying her time serving on the Juneteenth Committee.