In recognition and celebration of Juneteenth, the City of West Hollywood invites community members to attend In Conversation with Dylan C. Penningroth, historian, professor, and author of Before the Movement: The Hidden History of Black Civil Rights. Professor Penningroth will discuss his new book and the rich history and complex journey toward civil rights and freedom for African American people in the United States.

The conversation will take place on Tuesday, June 18, 2024, at 6 p.m. at the City of West Hollywood’s Council Chambers/Public Meeting Room located at 625 N. San Vicente Boulevard. The event is free and open to the public. Reservations are requested. To RSVP, please click here. This event is being brought to the community in collaboration with the Reparations Club, an independently Queer, Black woman-owned bookshop and creative space in Los Angeles and the with the participation of the City of West Hollywood’s Social Justice Advisory Board. The discussion will be followed by a brief Q&A and book-signing curated by the Reparations Club.

Dylan C. Penningroth is a professor of law and history at the University of California, Berkeley. He specializes in African American history and legal history. His first book, The Claims of Kinfolk: African American Property and Community in the Nineteenth-Century South, won the 2004 Civil War and Reconstruction Book Award and Avery Craven Prize from the Organization of American Historians. In his most recently published book Before the Movement: The Hidden History of Black Civil Rights, Penningroth revises the conventional story of civil rights to tell a forgotten pre-history of the marches of the 1960s. Drawing on long-forgotten sources found in the basements of county courthouses across the nation, Penningroth reveals that African Americans have thought about, talked about, and used the law going as far back as even the era of slavery. The book is an account of Black legal lives that looks beyond the Constitution and the criminal justice system to recover a rich, broader vision of Black life – a vision allied with, yet distinct from, the freedom struggle. 

Additionally, the City of West Hollywood will also raise the Juneteenth flag at West Hollywood City Hall on Wednesday, June 19, 2024 to honor and commemorate the holiday.

Juneteenth, which is also called Emancipation Day, Jubilee Day, Freedom Day, and Black Independence Day is recognized on June 19 of each year. This marks the date when some of the last enslaved people in the Confederacy were notified of their freedom: June 19, 1865. Juneteenth is recognized annually to commemorate the ending of slavery in the United States and represents a special day of reflection. 

In June 2020, the West Hollywood City Council established Juneteenth as an observed holiday in West Hollywood. In June 2021, President Biden signed a bill to recognize Juneteenth as a federal holiday. In January 2022, the West Hollywood City Council approved direction to initiate steps to recognize Juneteenth as an official City holiday. On June 19, 2022, the City held its first Flag-Raising Ceremony and invited residents, members of the community, and elected officials to share their perspectives and stories about the significance of Juneteenth and the importance of recognizing the holiday. Juneteenth is not only a reminder of a painful chapter in American history, but it also serves as an opportunity for people to recommit to combat all forms of modern-day slavery, human trafficking, and racial injustice. 

The City of West Hollywood has a decades-long commitment to promoting social justice and equal rights and works diligently to advocate for the fundamental rights of community members. The City of West Hollywood has a legacy of supporting initiatives that highlight inclusivity and equality, including hosting panels about racial equity, police violence, and criminal justice reform. The City prides itself on being a safe and affirming space for everyone, recognizing one of the City’s core values: respect and support for people. 

For additional information, please contact Jasmine Duckworth, City of West Hollywood Community Programs Coordinator, at (323) 848-6559 or at jduckworth@weho.org. For people who are Deaf or hard of hearing, please call TTY (323) 848-6496.

For up-to-date information about City of West Hollywood news and events, follow @wehocity on social media, sign-up for news updates at www.weho.org/email, and visit the City’s calendar of meetings and events at www.weho.org/calendar. Sign up for text messages by texting “WeHo” to (323) 848-5000.

For reporters and members of the media seeking additional information about the City of West Hollywood, please contact the City of West Hollywood’s Public Information Officer, Sheri A. Lunn, at (323) 848-6391 or slunn@weho.org.