Season 2 Episode 1: Celebrating Juneteenth and Holiday Safety

Season 2, Episode 1,   Jun 17, 2022, 03:00 PM


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Celebrating Juneteenth and Holiday Safety 


Q1: What is June 19th or “Juneteenth” and why is it so important nationally this year?

  • Juneteenth, or “Freedom Day” is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States.

  • It was on June 19, 1865 that Union soldiers, led by Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger, landed in Galveston, Texas with news that the war had ended and that all slaves were free. 

  • This holiday is considered the “longest running African-American holiday” and has been called “America’s second Independence Day.”

Q2: What is the significance of this year’s Juneteenth celebration in Oregon?

  • Oregon Senate Approves Juneteenth as Official State Holiday

  • 50th anniversary celebration of Juneteenth will be in person this year, after having to go virtual during pandemic.

  • After so much grief and hardship, it is time to provide some healing and celebration, and take this as an opportunity to celebrate all the amazing work done by the REACH program:

    • Over 150 partners have collaborated in this work. 

    • The REACH program was pivotal in the establishment of the first drive-thru vaccine clinic in Multnomah County.

    • Vaccinated more than 22,309 people. (Not including data from January and February - where they held multiple clinics vaccination of 500+ people)


Q3: What are the key events happening this weekend to celebrate Juneteenth in Oregon?

  • Wattles Boys and Girls Club Health Fair
    • They will be providing plant starters from Black farmers, vaccines, food, and games.

  • 50th anniversary celebration of Juneteenth in North Portland
    • Talk about the displacement in Vanport and Albina and the importance of taking up space there.

  • Gresham celebrations
    • Because of the displacement due to redlining, gentrification, etc., a lot of the Black community is now in Gresham.

  • The celebration in Vance Park in Gresham is hoping for a huge turnout and is put on by  Play Grow Learn, a fantastic organization that “is dedicated to healthy opportunities for sheltered and underserved youth in the community to play, grow, and learn. Initially aimed to support homeless youth, with the extended mission to serve all disenfranchised youth and families.”


Q4: During our Juneteenth events, we will be asking questions from the REACH team and some of the long-standing partners in the African American and African Immigrant and refugee communities of Multnomah County the following questions and we thought it would be great to ask these of all of you!

  • What does Black Joy, Liberation and Healing look like to you?

  • What’s your special message to anyone about the Juneteenth celebration?

  • Name the challenges you encountered during COVID and how did you get through those?  

Share your responses with REACH Facebook or Ask a Black Doctor on The Numberz.


Q5: Is it safe to gather in large groups for holiday events this weekend? What are COVID cases looking like?

With summer arriving, school out, and many of us enjoying the warmer weather, events like Juneteenth will bring people, families and communities together.

Statewide, COVID-19 cases appear to be leveling. Test positivity has not changed much lately and was 11.7% on June 13. During the last month, daily reported case counts also have leveled, from a rolling seven-day average of 1,401 cases a day on May 17, to 1,487 reported on June 13. However, these numbers are likely an undercount because many people are using at-home tests and not reporting the results. We also know many others are not getting tested. 

So if you are out and about, you will be exposed to COVID-19.

If you are planning to celebrate Juneteenth, celebrating outdoors is safer than celebrating indoors. And we encourage folks who are older or at high risk to wear a mask in indoor public spaces. 

The Number One thing you can do to protect yourself, your family and your community, is to get vaccinated and boosted.

Q6: If I am in a large group outside, should I wear a mask?

This depends on personal factors, your risk level and your comfort level. 


For folks who are at high risk, or for folks who care for someone at higher risk, or who live with someone at high risk, wearing a mask in indoor public places offers extra protection. However, the evidence we have seen suggests the virus in its current form can spread much more easily indoors. And like we said earlier, most outdoor settings are safer. 


Q7: What is the latest news on vaccinations and boosters for children under 5?

We know that many families with children under 5 have been eager to vaccinate their youngest children. 

The FDA and the CDC and their advisory committees are meeting this week and this Saturday to consider two vaccines for young children: Pfizer-BioNTech’s, for children 6 months old to under 5 years; and Moderna’s, for children 6 months old to under 6 years.

If the Western States Scientific Study Review Pact and Governor Kate Brown approve of the FDA and CDC review this weekend, the vaccine for children under 5 could be available as early as next week in Oregon.

We encourage parents who want to vaccinate their children under 5 to check with their pediatricians, local public health authority, or a trusted health care provider first, to see if they have the vaccine. If you don’t have a health care provider or pediatrician, call 211 and they can help you find the vaccine.  

Document accessibility: For individuals with disabilities or individuals who speak a language other than English, OHA can provide information in alternate formats such as translations, large print, or braille. Contact the Health Information Center at 1-971-673-2411, 711 TTY or COVID19.LanguageAccess@dhsoha.state.or.us.


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Season 2 Episode 2: Vaccinating children under 5 years of age
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