Make sure you come out and join us for the 13th Annual Juneteenth Celebration Weekendfull of cultural appreciation, while cultivating, educating, and celebrating Juneteenth African American history.
The Inland Northwest Juneteenth Coalition (INWJC) has been hosting Juneteenth events annually in Spokane since 2011. We have also consistently pushed for this notable holiday to be more recognized on a local, state and national level. Over the last few years this dream has become a reality!
National and State recognition has prompted an increase in Juneteenth Celebrations here locally and the recent proliferation of these celebrations makes us proud to see that our efforts over the last 12 years were not in vain. Due to this recent surge of Juneteenth Celebrations in Spokane, we at INWJC will discontinue hosting the "Celebration Event" for the time being.
This shift will allow us to reallocate resources and efforts toward our two other notable annual events: The Community Pillar Awards and The Father's Day Event.
The Community Pillar Awards are designed to acknowledge and celebrate those who help uplift the African-American community in Spokane. The award categories are:
• Business • Non-profit • Church/ Religious Orgs • Individual
We also present a Heartwood Award to an elder of the African American community who has been a meaningful part of the community's foundation and identity. We chose the "Heartwood" due to its definition: The central supporting pillar of the tree. It will not decay or loose strength while the outer layers are intact.
It is in many ways the strongest part of the tree.
**If you would like to nominate someone for a Pillar Award, you may do so with our NOMINATION FORM.** **If you would like to RSVP tickets to the Pillar Awards, you can reserve them on EVENTBRITE.**
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The Father's Day Event is where we praise fathers, male mentors, and father figures who play an important role in their children's lives or the children they mentor or help raise.
As the birthplace of Father's Day, it is important that we highlight Men of Color, especially African American men because of the negative stigmas placed on them regarding fatherhood. So, it has been and will continue to be our fight to eradicate that negative stereotype in Spokane.
Again, even with making this tough decision, we will continue to push for community unity and educate those outside our community about Juneteenth in our events and the scholarships we award. We hope our supporters, partners, and collaborators will continue to help us build upon the foundation we already have laid because we have many new events in the works.
So, stayed tuned! But until then...remember LIBERTY, LITERACY, AND LIVELIHOOD!