Celebrate Juneteenth in the San Fernando Valley with Zawadi Cultural Collective

WOODLAND HILLS, CA, June 14, 2024 (VSNewsNetwork.com) –  A day of family fun and fellowship is what you can expect at the 7th annual Juneteenth Community Celebration hosted by Zawadi Cultural Collective. The event, created to commemorate the historic emancipation of enslaved African Americans on June 19, 1865, aims to foster unity within the African American community of the San Fernando Valley.

The event will feature a variety of activities including 100 black vendors, live music, appearances by local officials, family-friendly games, water play areas, a book fair, community awards and more. 

“We liken it to a family reunion”, said Shania Accius, founder and executive director of Zawaldi Cultural Collective. 

When discussing the importance of events like this for the community, Accius stated: “Here in the San Fernando Valley, we are so spread out and not concentrated in one area, so sometimes people feel isolated. I think it's important to support things like Juneteenth … because it allows us to come together, support each other, celebrate each other and support our small black businesses”.

A notable part of the event will be the announcement of “The #1 Small Business In The Valley” award, an accolade created to spotlight African American businesses that give back and are thriving in the community. This award is decided by a poll, allowing the community to choose the winner. 

Accius, who is very active in attending local events and ceremonies, became aware of the lack of black business owner representation in the San Fernando Valley. The award itself was made due to the disproportionate amount of businesses she noticed getting community recognition and support that did not have African American founders. 

“I’m very active in my community. I go to a lot of different events and I don't see a lot of us. I go to networking events, I go to the mixers, but I don’t see a lot of our businesses, even though I know they’re out there and they exist”, said Accius.

“The reason why we wanted to start highlighting black businesses is because it felt we weren’t getting highlighted … and the support that we need”, she added.

Accius is also the creator of Black in the Valley, an online hub for African Americans in the San Fernando Valley to come together in the name of fellowship and community. Accius created the group on June 7th, 2020 in the midst of the global pandemic, a time when connectivity was severely hindered due to the worldwide shutdown. Its launch also coincided with the social unrest felt around the world following the death of George Floyd and became a congenial place for neighbors to connect and support each other. Since its inception, it has grown into a resource center to help people find local black businesses to patronize. 

Finding new ways to bring the community together is something that Accius is passionate about. Along with Zawaldi Cultural Collective and Black In The Valley, she is also the creator of an African American Girls Scout Troop which serves as another source of fellowship for african americans in the San Fernando Valley to foster connections through. 

The younger generation is a major reason for hosting the Juneteenth event every year.  

“For our children who are usually one of a hundred in their class… we want them to see people who look like them and share the same experiences as them”, Accius stated, reflecting on the positive impact she intends to make through all of her initiatives.

The Zawadi Cultural Collective is an African American organization committed to enhancing cultural awareness and community engagement in the San Fernando Valley. This year's Juneteenth event, taking place on June 15th from 1 PM to 6 PM at Pierce College (6201 Winnetka Ave., Woodland Hills, CA 91367) promises an afternoon of fellowship, fun, and celebration of African American heritage.

“When you come to Juneteenth you’re coming home. You can be yourself, you can have fun and you can just be unapologetically black!” said Accius.

For more information, visit www.zawadiculturalcollective.com. To follow Black in The Valley on social media, you can find their page at @blackinthevalleysfv.