With Juneteenth revving up for another year of festive fervor, Long Beach is perking ears with the announcement that musician Anderson .Paak, known also as DJ Pee Wee, will be at the turntables for this year's celebration. The event, set for June 15 at Rainbow Lagoon Park, has been climbing the charts of cultural prominence in Downtown Long Beach.
Juneteenth Long Beach, which commands a presence with an explosive mix of culture, music, and community, has witnessed a crowd swell to some 10,000 people in recent years. Event organizer and producer Carl Kemp, expressed high anticipation for .Paak's appearance, "I prayed for this from the very first Juneteenth Long Beach celebration I was blessed to do four years ago," Kemp said, "I wanted the Black community of Long Beach (and those who love it) to have the very best in music—and DJ Pee Wee is one of the GOATs," according to longbeachize.
The high-profile gig is not .Paak’s first Long Beach groove; he’s previously promoted his mojito brand El .Paakito, and appeared at The Bungalow's rebranding, bringing his diverse entrepreneurial spirit alongside his musical chops. Under Kemp's leadership, this day-long event honors the Black community's impact and resilience through diverse expressions of freedom, with historical roots stretching back to the post-emancipation period.
Juneteenth, known as Black Independence Day, celebrates the emancipation of enslaved people in the U.S., particularly commemorating June 19, 1865, when the remaining slaves in Texas were finally informed of their freedom. Community leader and DJ Senay Kenfe praised the growing influence of the event, "Under Carl Kemp’s leadership, a traditionally neighborhood centered celebration of the freedom of enslaved people in Texas has become one of the largest Black cultural events in the region," Kenfe told LongBeachize.
The inclusive, yet deeply significant nature of the celebration was highlighted by Kemp, who stressed its community-focused ethos, "This thing is about the simple things: joyfully celebrating Black culture, honoring our history, and creating a space for community unity," he explained. The rapid growth of Juneteenth Long Beach, transitioning to a larger venue at Rainbow Lagoon Park due to demand, underscores the significance of the day both regionally and state-wide.
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