Our History
Juneteenth-in-Berkeley was the brain child of RD Bonds, Bradley Walters, and Sam Dyke, who started the Festival celebration to re-establish community pride, and bring together South Berkeley businesses and residents in the celebration of a major African American cultural event. The establishment of Berkeley Juneteenth Association, Inc. (BJAI), culminated in the first annual Festival in 1987. BJAI is committed to educating future generations about the history and struggle of African Americans, creating programming which highlights our music and culture, and acknowledging people and events that have brought us as a community and a nation a mighty long way.
