PHOTOS: Culver City celebrates Juneteenth at Ivy Station
Culver City partnered with Black-owned businesses, local artists and organizations to celebrate the holiday at Ivy Station Saturday afternoon.
A man ponders over a display recounting the history of the American Civil Rights movement at Culver City's official 2025 Juneteenth Celebration held at Ivy Station on Saturday, June 21. Each of the stands highlighted a key moment in the movement, culminating with the celebration of Black Lives Matter. || Photo by Christian May-SuzukiEntertainment at the 2025 Culver City Juneteenth Celebration was kicked off by BriJolie and Friends and the Top Shelf Brass Band — whose trombonist can be seen playing here. The latter group marched around the Ivy Station plaza before settling on a main stage to perform. Following their performance, songs from Black musical artists were played over speakers as the music for the event. || Photo by Christian May-Suzuki Many of Culver City's elected officials made an appearance at Saturday afternoon's Juneteenth Celebration, including Culver City Unified School District Board of Education President Triston Ezidore (second from left) and Culver City council member Yasmine-Imani McMorrin (second from right). Others seen at the celebration include Vice Mayor Freddy Puza and Board of Education members Andrew Lachman and Lindsay Carlson. || Photo by Christian May-SuzukiJuneteenth is the celebration of the moment the news that slavery was legally abolished in the United States reached the final uninformed Americans in Galveston Bay, Texas on June 19, 1865. Former President Joe Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act in 2021 to enshrine the occasion as a federal holiday, but current President Donald Trump has pushed back against giving workers a paid holiday for Juneteenth. || Photo by Christian May-SuzukiActivities like coloring pages and other arts and crafts were set up by the city for kids to participate in while learning about the significance of Juneteenth. Event organizers intended for Culver City's 2025 Juneteenth celebration to be a family-friendly day of reflection, education, and celebration. || Photo by Christian May-SuzukiA selection of books with themes based in African-American history, culture, and life were available for kids and adults to read to further understand and educate themselves at the 2025 Culver City Juneteenth Celebration. Culver City is home to Malik Books — an African American bookstore that specializes in books pertaining to cultural diversity. It is open from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Sundays at the Westfield Culver City Mall. || Photo by Christian May-SuzukiMembers of the public look through old vinyl records and shirts being sold at the Juneteenth Celebration at Ivy Station. Those at the event were encouraged to visit each of the vendors and activities there with a stamp card, which rewarded participants with a free meal from Dulan's on Crenshaw when it was filled out. || Photo by Christian May-SuzukiBlack-owned businesses — like Exotic Fever Hot Sauce based in Torrance — were given the opportunity to display and sell their goods at Culver City's 2025 Juneteenth Celebration at Ivy Station. Culver City's Lei'd Cookies was also among the businesses with edible offerings available for eventgoers to purchase Saturday afternoon. || Photo by Christian May-Suzuki
Comments ()