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Washington Democrats host first statewide Juneteenth celebration in Spokane
Summary
The Washington State Democratic Party hosted its first statewide Juneteenth celebration in Spokane on June 19, 2026, featuring speeches from Legislative Black Caucus leaders, labor president April Sims, Attorney General Nick Brown, and awards honoring local civil-rights leaders.
The Washington State Democratic Party held a Juneteenth celebration in Spokane on June 19, 2026, bringing together caucus leaders, labor organizers, elected officials and community honorees. The program included music, an invocation, keynote remarks and a series of awards recognizing long-time organizers and civil-rights leaders.
Representative Brandy Donahue, interim chair of the Legislative Black Caucus, outlined caucus priorities including a codified Community Reinvestment Fund and a study of reparations. April Sims, president of the Washington State Labor Council AFL-CIO, connected labor organizing to voting-rights protections and warned against efforts to criminalize dissent. Attorney General Nick Brown described his office's litigation work to defend Washington policies and cited litigation outcomes he said shielded the state from budget cuts.
The evening included presentation of multiple party-leader awards and a posthumous Community Vanguard Award honoring Sandy Williams for decades of civil-rights organizing in Spokane. Pastor Walter Kendricks accepted the award on Williams' behalf and described the award as recognition of the institutions Williams helped build, such as SCAR and the Karl Maxey Center.
Organizers closed by inviting attendees to use the remainder of the state convention to continue community-building and civic engagement.
