San Mateo County raises flag for the Juneteenth holiday

“It symbolized an end to a brutal system of slavery, but it also really highlighted the significant challenges that lay ahead into true equality,” Niambi Clay, executive director of Equity, Social Justice and Inclusion at the San Mateo County Office of Education, said.

“Channeling Frederick Douglass, are you truly free if you don’t have food, if you don’t have shelter, if you don’t have access to economic means?” she said.

The event was organized by Supervisor Noelia Corzo’s office and ended with attendees holding up miniature Juneteenth flags to symbolize the flag raising, which will officially occur at the flagpole at Veterans Boulevard and Brewster Avenue. 

Maurice Goodman, Millbrae vice mayor and NAACP San Mateo Branch president, also took to the podium, citing the racial wealth gap, disproportionate poverty rates, and voter suppression as enduring injustices of slavery. 

“The legacy of slavery continues to have a profound impact on the lives of Black Americans to this day, perpetuating systemic inequalities and barriers to economic prosperity,” he said. “While the legal institution of slavery was abolished, its economic, social and psychological effects continue to reverberate.” 

African American communities also see disproportionately high rates of chronic diseases, infections and mortality rates as well as inadequate access to health care because of that social and economic inequality, San Mateo County Health Officer Kismet Baldwin-Santana said. 

But the COVID-19 pandemic has spurred greater momentum for health care equity with efforts like the national-level Black Health Matters movement and San Mateo County’s own Black infant health programs, Baldwin-Santana said. 

“We are working to break down the barriers providing culturally competent care and fostering open dialogue about mental health,” she said. “As you celebrate Juneteenth, I think we should remember that this is not just about freedom from physical bondage, but also about the ongoing pursuit of freedom from the chains of inequality.”

Corzo encouraged attendees to support Black joy as well as Black resilience — shopping at Black-owned businesses, acknowledging Black excellence and passing on that consciousness to their children by being mindful of who is and isn’t in their social circles. 

“I think that being mindful of being in those moments of joy is important because when those rough times come back, joy will sustain you and it will lead you forward together,” she said. 

All people have a role to play in the fight against the inequity and systemic racism that continues to permeate American culture, including in San Mateo County, Goodman said, noting that while he was at points tired and disappointed as an elected official, he remains inspired and “more focused than ever.” 

“We are all connected. Slavery did not end because of Black folks. We were there, we were at the fight. But had coconspirators right alongside us that look just like this audience here,” he said. 

True advocacy for building an equitable future means actively calling out racism and oppression beyond any one day or month, Goodman reminded the crowd. 

“It is not a membership to a club that we seek, or council seats. Don’t get me wrong. We need to have our faces in roles and places,” he said. “But it’s not fame or attention we seek, nor can we be satisfied with just being there. We must display the courage and the resolve to stand up for any and all aggressive or oppressive policies.” 

Programming began with Q Smith singing “I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel to Be Free” and ended with the Black National Anthem, “Lift Every Voice and Sing.” 

Other Juneteenth festivities are going on around the county, including a June 15 flag-raising and parade in Millbrae that will include a variety of community organizations and local leadership. It will begin 10 a.m. at Civic Center Plaza, 450 Poplar Ave., with a 10:30 a.m. parade that will lead to Central Park at 477 Lincoln Circle where there will be a festival beginning at 11 a.m. There will also be a Juneteenth music and community popup event in downtown San Mateo 1-3:30 p.m. June 15 on B Street between First and Third avenues.