San Rafael Juneteenth Black Excellence Festival 2026 Celebrating Legacy, Leadership, and Community Impact
Performances by the world-renowned Lighthouse Singers Gospel Choir & the City of Refuge UCC Choir African American gospel music, food, artists, and more!
Community Goal: Raise $50,000 for the City of Refuge UCC Roof Restoration Fund
Rev. Dr. Linda Lane-Bortell
Rev. Dr. Janie Spahr
Chaplain Chitoka Webb
Bishop Yvette Flunder
Founded in 2024 by Chaplain Chitoka Webb, San Rafael’s Juneteenth celebration made history as the first Juneteenth festival ever hosted by a church in Marin County when Christ Presbyterian Church, pastored by Rev. Dr. Linda Lane-Bortell, opened its doors and grounds to commemorate the national holiday marking the end of slavery in the United States. Since its founding, the festival has grown into a vibrant cultural gathering that celebrates Black excellence, educates the broader community, and fosters meaningful partnerships for justice and equity.
The 2026 Juneteenth Festival will center the themes of gender justice, spiritual leadership, and Black ecclesial legacy, highlighting the extraordinary ministry and impact of City of Refuge United Church of Christ, a nationally recognized Black-led faith community founded and led by Bishop Yvette A. Flunder.
More than a commemorative gathering, the 2026 celebration will also serve as a direct act of material solidarity. Organizers have launched a community initiative to raise $50,000 to support City of Refuge UCC in replacing the roof of its church facility, ensuring the preservation of a sacred space that has served generations of marginalized communities.
For decades, City of Refuge UCC has embodied a ministry of radical hospitality, inclusive theology, and prophetic justice, welcoming LGBTQ+ persons, women in leadership, formerly incarcerated individuals, and those historically excluded from traditional religious institutions. The church stands as a powerful example of how faith, liberation, and courageous leadership intersect to create transformative community impact.
Honoring Black Women Who Changed the World
A central highlight of the 2026 festival will be the San Rafael Juneteenth Black Excellence Awards, recognizing extraordinary women whose leadership strengthens communities and advances justice.
Each award will honor a contemporary leader while also commemorating a historic Black woman whose innovation changed the world.
2026 San Rafael Juneteenth Black Excellence Award Recipients
Dr. Cindy Acker
A six-time award winner for her education and support of children, including LGBT families and families of diversity. She is the First African American president of California’s preschool Management association. Will be recognized for her enduring leadership and commitment to faith-rooted justice.
Award presented in honor of Marian Croak, pioneering telecommunications engineer whose innovations helped shape Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technology.
Vice Mayor Chantel Walker
Vice Mayor of San Anselmo and the first African woman to serve in the role, recognized for her civic leadership and dedication to community development.
Award presented in honor of Marie Van Brittan Brown, inventor of the first home security system.
Antonette Bullock
Community Resource Coordinator for the San Rafael Police Department, First African American Resource Coordinator for the San Rafael Police Department. Honored for her tireless work building bridges between public safety and community care.
Award presented in honor of Gladys West, the mathematician whose groundbreaking work made GPS technology possible.
Jasmine Sanderfer
Chief Executive Officer of the Marin Association of Realtors, recognized for her leadership and commitment to economic opportunity and housing equity.
Award presented in honor of Patricia Bath, the groundbreaking ophthalmologist and inventor whose laser cataract surgery restored sight to millions.
Music, Culture, and Community
The San Rafael Juneteenth Festival will feature powerful musical performances including:
The City of Refuge Choir
The internationally recognized Lighthouse Singers Gospel Choir
The festival will also include more than 15 African and African-diaspora vendors, offering art, literature, traditional clothing, handmade crafts, and cultural cuisine. Guests can expect an afternoon filled with live music, food, storytelling, and celebration of African and African-American heritage.
VENDORS
What is Juneteenth?
Juneteenth is the day that commemorates the emancipation of enslaved African Americans in the United States. June 19, 2026 will be the 161st anniversary of Juneteenth.
President Abraham Lincoln signed the emancipation proclamation on January 1, 1863, an executive order that declared that all slaves shall be set free and forever free. Even after the general order, many enslavers withheld the information from enslaved people, holding them captive through two more harvest seasons.
On June 19, 1865, Major General Gordon Granger and his troops (190) arrived in Galveston, TX, where 250, 000 black people were still being held captive-to announce the end of the civil war and the end of slavery. And that the government would not relent until the last enslaved people in America were free.
On June 17, 2021 President Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act, making June 19 the 2nd federal holiday commemorating African Americans struggle for freedom and equal rights since the recognition of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr’s birthday in 1983.