BASE's Kym McKandes joins us on Sunrise to talk about Juneteenth

MEDFORD, Ore — BASE Southern Oregon is hosting a Juneteenth celebration at Pear Blossom Park in downtown Medford this Saturday from 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. The event’s host and emcee, Kym McKandes stopped by Sunrise to talk to Marcus Veal about the event, and what Juneteenth means to the Southern Oregon community.

Juneteenth is a celebration of the end of slavery in the United States. The name of the holiday is a portmanteau of “June Nineteenth”, in honor of June 19, 1865 – when the final enforcement was made of President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation. It was 900 days after the proclamation was issued, and 61 days after Confederate General Robert E. Lee surrendered to the Union to end the American Civil War. IT has been recognized as a federal holiday since 2021.

The theme for this year’s Juneteenth celebration hosted by BASE is “Resilience”. The event will feature live entertainment, food and drinks from local food trucks, vendors, plenty of activities for the kids to enjoy, and keynote speaker Carl Thomas.

BASE stands for “Black Alliance and Social Empowerment”. It is a non-profit community organization that provides events, information, connection, support, and other resources that work toward the well-being and advancement of black Southern Oregonians. For more information, visit their website at baseoregon.org.