Santa Monica’s 33rd annual Juneteenth Celebration: A Family Affair Unifying, Healing, and Restoring set for June 14
June 4, 2025 1:21 PM
SANTA MONICA, Calif. (June 4, 2025) – The city of Santa Monica, in partnership with Juneteenth Celebration in Santa Monica, is proud to host the 33rd Annual Juneteenth Celebration at Virginia Avenue Park on Saturday, June 14 from 2–7 p.m.
This year’s theme, A Family Affair: Unifying, Healing, and Restoring pays homage to the enduring legacy of Black resilience and culture through an immersive day of music, spoken word, collective dialogue and joyful liberatory practices.
Three decades before Juneteenth was recognized as a federal holiday, Santa Monica trailblazer Laverne Ross — a visionary community activist — secured the first city funding for a Juneteenth event. Today, with continued support from the city’s Virginia Avenue Park staff and a dedicated committee of community leaders and advocates, Ross’s vision lives on in what has become Santa Monica’s largest annual celebration of Black culture and traditions.
“Juneteenth is a celebration that we’ve held in Santa Monica for over three decades, thanks to the leadership of Laverne Ross and the deep dedication of many of our community members,” Mayor Lana Negrete said. “I’m thrilled to celebrate and commemorate Juneteenth in this year’s homage to the enduring legacy of Black resilience and culture.”
This free, family-friendly event draws over 2,000 attendees each year from Santa Monica, West Los Angeles and beyond, creating a vibrant space for reunion, remembrance and renewal. The 2025 celebration will showcase a rich mosaic of Black musical genres, including West African drumming and dance, soul, funk, jazz, gospel, Afro Blue Grazz and more.
Featured Performers:
Presented in partnership with BroadStage, Pascal Bokar AfroBlueGrazz Band – A world-renowned jazz guitarist and educator, Pascal Bokar fuses West African traditions with the musical heritage of the American South. A visionary in global jazz, Bokar is this year’s headlining act. pascalbokar.com
Durti-Ryce featuring Deron – Honoring the legacy of Frankie Beverly and MAZE, this soul-stirring tribute band delivers music that heals, inspires and unites generations through timeless R&B. durtiryce.com
Nichelle Monroe with Butterfly – A proud descendant of Santa Monica’s first Black family, Nichelle brings her unique “Gourmet Soul” sound to the stage — infused with opera, soul and jazz influences, wrapped in legacy and love. nichellemonroe.com
Daunté Annabi Fyall with DAANSEKOU CULTURAL ARTS COLLECTIVE featuring West African Griot, Historian and Master in Residency: Baba Fode Sissoko. DAANSEKOU is on a quest to empower others to develop greater self-awareness by actively encouraging individuals from all walks of life to join in creating a unified “Village” of love for the invaluable history found within the African Diaspora.
William Bryant – Keyboardist, producer and composer who recorded, performed and toured with various artists, including Marvin Gaye and Maze Featuring Frankie Beverly. Under Bryant's leadership, the Santa Monica College Emeritus Gospel Community Choir has become a vibrant ensemble known for its authentic gospel repertoire and community performances infused with the transformative power of music in promoting unity and reconciliation.
Also performing are Chazz Ross, Stacy McClendon, an invocation with special guests and more.
“You will not want to miss 2025’s Juneteenth invocation,” President of the Santa Monica Area Interfaith Council Kathleen Benjamin said, ‘it will be a profound expression of our heritage and a testament to the enduring power of faith in our journey and I welcome all to experience it.”
Main Stage schedule:
1:45 p.m. Pre-show drum call with Chazz Ross
2:00 p.m. Welcome by Juneteenth Celebration in Santa Monica founder, Laverne Ross
2:05 p.m. Invocation by Pastor Mossett of Calvary Baptist, Rev. Carolyn Baskin-Bell of First AME, Jessica Ten-Have Place of Universal Unitarians, Ted Tornado of Native American Indian Veterans Association and featuring Kathleen Benjamin President of Santa Monica Area Interfaith Council
2:15 p.m. “Lift Every Voice and Sing”, Black National Anthem, William Bryant and the Santa Monica College Emeritus Gospel Community Choir
2:35 p.m. Daunté Fyall with DAANSEKOU CULTURAL ARTS & WELLNESS COLLECTIVE empowering us with West African drumming, dancing, choreography, stilt walking and cultural education
3:20 p.m. Juneteenth History, General Order 3 by Laverne Ross
3:35 p.m. Presentation of Juneteenth Proclamation: Santa Monica Mayor Lana Negrete
Juneteenth Celebration in Santa Monica Honoree Presentation: Inglewood Mayor James T. Butts and Ms. Barbara Walden
3:50 p.m. Santa Monica’s own Nichelle Monroe with BUTTERFLY performing gourmet soul music
4:45 p.m. Spoken Word & Poetry: Stacy McClendon
5:00 p.m. Pascal Bokar AfroBlue Grazz Band, presented in partnership with BroadStage
6:00 p.m. Durti-Ryce featuring Deron
6:55 p.m. Closing: Laverne Ross and Juneteenth Celebration in Santa Monica Board
The 33rd Annual Juneteenth Celebration will also feature community resource booths, free mammograms, food trucks, local Black-owned small businesses and vendors, youth activities and ancestral tents featuring storytelling circles centering Black Santa Monica lineages—all designed to uplift and celebrate the brilliance of the Black community.
All are invited to join in honoring ancestors, reconnecting with family and cultivating joy as the journey of unity, healing and restoration continues.
For event details, click here.
Media Contact
Tati Simonian
Public Information Officer
Tati.Simonian@santamonica.gov
