June 19, 1865, marked the end of slavery in Texas.
June 19, 2023 marks the 158th Anniversary of the first Juneteenth Celebration in Galveston, Texas. Juneteenth is an important time of reflection as well as education. It is an opportune time to look at African-American history through the lens of the Juneteenth celebration.
Juneteenth gets its name by combining the date on which it is held: June 19th.
June 19, 1865 was the day Union General Gordon Granger informed the enslaved people of Galveston, Texas that they were officially free. Issued two-and-a-half years after President Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation, Granger read the words of General Order Number 3 as follows:
"The people of Texas are informed with a Proclamation from the executive of the United States, all slaves are free. This involves an absolute equality of rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves."
Over the many years of celebrating Juneteenth, widely known as "Freedom Day," I have often said that my mind can scarcely imagine the depths of the emotions and the fear of the unknown for the newly freed Black men, women and children of Texas. Today, as Oregon prepares to celebrate Juneteenth 2023, my mind is filled with amazement about June 17, 2021, the day President Joe Biden signed a bill into law establishing June 19th as Juneteenth National Independence Day.
I wonder what the freed Black people of Texas would think of the President's words at this moment in history.
"Iâve only been president for several months, but I think this will go down, for me, as one of the greatest honors I will have as president.
I regret that my grandchildren arenât here, because this is a really, really, really important moment in our history.
By making Juneteenth a federal holiday, all Americans can feel the power of this day and learn from our history â and celebrate progress and grapple with the distance weâve come and the distance we have to travel.â
The decision by the U.S. Senate and House to recognize Juneteenth on a national level happened just over a year after the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery sparked national protests against police brutality and systemic racism. This reckoning, along with Covid-19's disproportionate toll on Black Americans, has led to increased interest in the celebration of Juneteenth.
Against this societal backdrop, Juneteenth has had a rebirth in terms of Americans, particularly young people, wanting to know what it is. At the same time, others want to better understand how Juneteenth relates to the "arc of the moral universe bending toward justice," or the possibility that it won't without action. Indeed, as we celebrate Juneteenth in Oregon, our thoughts turn to the true meaning of freedom.
One of the key sponsors of the 2021 Juneteenth bill was Senator Edward J. Markey (D-MA). Senator Markey pointed out that Juneteenth's designation as a federal holiday comes at a time of debate over how schools teach students about racism. The Senator is also widely quoted as saying that recognizing Juneteenth on a federal level "acknowledges slavery as the original sin built into the United States Constitution. We celebrate its eradication, but we can't celebrate how deeply racism resulted in America's policies and is still built into education, health, housing and every other policy."
Without a doubt, the question of freedom lingers as we gather to remember and to celebrate the historic moment when General Granger read the words,
"All slaves are free."
The Democratic Party of Oregon and the DPO Black Caucus invite you to join us in celebration of Juneteenth 2023! With great joy and excitement, we announce a wide range of spectacular Juneteenth opportunities across Oregon by an energized DPO and county and caucus leadership.
In unity of purpose,
Rosa Colquitt, PhD
State Party Chair of the Democratic Party of Oregon
The Special District Election is over. Thereâs been quite a bit of talk about the low turnout â just over 22 percent countywide. Pretty dismal, right?
Letâs try it from a different perspective. Letâs focus on who DID turn out.
Jackson County Voter Turnout â May 16, 2023 Special District Election
| Total # registered | # of ballots returned | % turnout | |
| Democrats | 42,069 | 15,656 | 37.2 |
| Republicans | 48,745 | 13,087 | 26.8 |
| NAVs* | 55,967 | 4,952 | 8.8 |
| Independent Party of Oregon | 8,331 | 1,724 | 20.7 |
| All county voters | 159,125 | 35,839 | 22.5 |
* Non-affiliated voters
Even though there are 6,576 more Republicans than Democrats in Jackson County, Democrats did better because we had a turnout advantage of 10.4 percent over Republicans. That translated to 2,569 more Democratic ballots.
The result? Our school board candidates won, theirs lost. Our candidates for Rogue Valley Transportation District won. Results were mixed in the case of the Jackson County Library Board and a couple of other races. But overall, the evidence clearly shows that a minority party can win elections.
Now letâs get to work and set our sights on 2024 and 2025!
The Democratic Party of Oregon (DPO) will convene its biennial platform convention Aug. 18-20, 2023 at Western Oregon University (WOU) in Monmouth, Oregon. Every registered Democrat in Jackson County is eligible to apply. If that describes you, this is your chance to have an impact! You can apply to be a Convention Delegate or Alternate and make your voice heard in person. Or you can submit your ideas electronically (more information to be announced about this option at a later time).
Based on our partyâs total registration across the county, we have an allocation of 44 delegates and 22 alternates. We want our delegation to reflect the diversity of our county as much as possible. The DPO does not want economic hardship to be a barrier to participation. Accordingly, they have announced a schedule of modest fees, with scholarships available.
If you are a current PCP (precinct committee person) or NL (Neighborhood Leader), you have already received this announcement and the link to the application. For all others who are interested, please email your interest to Chair@jcdemocrats.org.
Our partyâs outreach in the community is in full swing! We had a great time meeting people recently at the Pear Blossom Street Fair, Rogue Earth Day, and Gold Dust Days in Gold Hill. The experience was particularly moving for our volunteers at the Gold Hill event. The booth next to us featured two fire and brimstone preachers from Rogue Valley Salt Shakers. Our booth had banners of welcome and support for all humans. Time and again, people came to our booth to thank us for being allies of the Queer Community.
We urge everyone to support Medfordâs Juneteenth Celebration on Saturday, June 17 in Pear Blossom Park between 11 a.m. and 7 p.m. Booth spaces sold out before we could get one, but weâll be sure to have a presence next year.
However, we will be Medford PRIDE on Saturday, June 24 from 12 noon to 6 p.m. at Pear Blossom Park in downtown Medford. Members of the Oregon Stonewall Caucus will be joining with our local LGBTQ Caucus as volunteers. All are welcome!
Weâll also be walking in Ashlandâs 4th of July Parade. Please join us! We had a fantastic time last year and we know youâll enjoy yourself. After the parade youâll find us in Lithia Park at the JC Democratsâ information booth.
If you are interested in parading with us and/or helping with the booth, send a note to NLP@jcdemocrats.org.
On Saturday, June 17, 2023, BASE will host the 3rd Annual Southern Oregon Juneteenth Celebration at Pear Blossom Park in Medford from 11am - 7pm. This family-friendly event will be an outdoor cultural celebration for the entire community featuring food, education, music, and live entertainment!
This yearâs celebration will showcase our regionâs expanding roster of Black-owned businesses, highlight local Black artists and creatives, share Black culture, provide a platform for community leaders, and create a fun environment where both youth and adults can commemorate this moment in our history and enrich understanding of our collective journey towards equity. It will be a celebration where the whole community can come together.
The day-long event will include activities for grownups and children throughout the day. The Kidsâ Zone will feature music, a bouncy house, face painting, and games. The mainstage will feature stars from across the Pacific Northwest: DJ Gemineye, Ekome drumming band, No BS, Ratie D, Tyrone Hendrix, plus performances from the AfroScoutz youth program. Community leaders including Kamilah Long of The Black Whole, Kym McKandes, Pastor of the Living Room Church, and Abby McKee of Britt Festival will illuminate history and offer inspiration. Raffles, offered throughout the day, include the chance to win Britt festival tickets. There will also be vendors, food trucks, community organizations, and other resources.
Juneteenth, also known as Freedom Day, was declared a national holiday in 2021, and celebrates the emancipation of those who had been enslaved in the United States. Juneteenth, the longest-running holiday that celebrates the end of American slavery, commemorates the anniversary date of June 19, 1865 when Union Army general Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas and issued General Order Number 3, effectively freeing enslaved people in the South.
The City of Ashland has openings on the Housing and Human Services Commission, the Wildfire Safety Commission, the Climate Policy Commission and more! More information on the City of Ashland Commission Vacancies.
The City of Medford has openings on the Commission on Access, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, the Housing Advisory Commission, the Planning Commission, the Police Advisory Committee and more! More information on the City of Medford Committee and Commission Vacancies!
Fellow Democrats of Jackson County, hereâs a challenge for you: Our local party is doing all it can to prepare for the 2024 General Election cycle so we can be highly competitive. We could really use more volunteers -- preferably this year, so we have more time to get ready for 2024.
Can you see yourself in any of the following opportunities?
Examples of small(ish) jobs:
Get together once a month with like-minded individuals to write letters, postcards, and thank you notes
Help set up and clean up at an event
Enter data into the computer
Monitor our mail and phone messages
Deliver and retrieve lawn signs at election time
Become a Neighborhood Leader (NL), adopting your neighborhood and encouraging Democrats there to vote in every election
Examples of larger jobs:
Be a team coordinator for one of the above activities
Become a Precinct Committee Person (PCP) so you can help us make wise decisions, and help the party get its goals accomplished by serving on a committee
Help us continue to develop our website and social media
Train to become the partyâs next Treasurer. (Our current Treasurer is doing fine, thank you, and also doing a splendid job, but we know he would love to have someone to hand the baton to someday!)
Examples of front line jobs:
Conduct surveys and ask people to vote â could be door to door, by phone, or by text
Train volunteers (Neighborhood Leaders, for example, or database volunteers)
Facilitate meetings on Zoom or in person
Help out at the party's information booth at events around the county
Ask people for money!
Examples of behind the scenes jobs:
Conduct research on legislation, candidates, etc.
Write and edit â all kinds of projects
Assist with accounting, budgeting, and fundraising operations
Use your graphics skills for flyers, memes, webpages, etc.
Apply some special skill that you think we need?
Democracy needs you! Send an email to Chair@jcdemocrats.org if you want to explore how you can help build a strong Democratic Party in Jackson County.
A lot is at stake for Jackson County! The more people who volunteer with our party, the better our community becomes!
All Democratic Party Precinct Committee Persons (PCPs) in Jackson County belong to the Central Committee, which is the governing body of the Democratic Party of Jackson County. As a PCP, you have a voice and vote in the local party when we make decisions that affect your community.
As a PCP, you are the partyâs grassroots, representing your neighbors. For every 500 registered voters in a precinct, there can be one precinct person of each gender (male, female, non-binary).
What are the prerequisites for becoming a PCP?
Your primary residence must be within Jackson County.
You must be registered as a Democrat at your Jackson County address. If you are unsure about your voter status or are not currently registered as a Democrat, look up your voter status and/or re-register as a Democrat.
How do I become a PCP?
To be appointed as a PCP, please complete our Precinct Committee Person Application. Once your application is submitted, you must attend one of our monthly Central Committee meetings in order to be appointed.
To be elected as a PCP, you need to run for election during the May Primary Election that is held during even-numbered years. The next chance to be an elected PCP will be in May of 2024.
What can I do once I'm a PCP?
You will have a voice and a vote in the party when we make decisions that affect your community. Vote on resolutions and ballot measures that affect Southern Oregon!
Join a Committee! We have amazing people working in Jackson County to create meaningful change.
The Campaign Committee is the primary campaign arm of the county party, handling all campaign business for candidates and ballot measures.
The Communications & Technology Committee maintains our website and all social media sites.
The Community/Voter Outreach Committee is in charge of involvement in fairs, festivals, parades, marches, rallies, and protests.
The Neighborhood Leader Program Committee oversees the Neighborhood Leader Program and helps Get Out the Vote for elections.
The Platform & Resolutions Committee handles all proposed resolutions of the party and organizes the Jackson County Democratic Party Platform Convention.
For more information, email or call us at 541-858-1050 mail@JCDemocrats.org.
Follow the Jackson County Democrats on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter!
PO BOX 4474, Medford, OR 97501 | 541-858-1050 | jcdemocrats.org
Jackson County Democrats
PO BOX 4474
Medford, OR 97501
United States
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