San Antonio’s Juneteenth parade is still set to roll across the East Side on Saturday, and that is largely because longtime organizer Oscar Vicks refuses to let it stop, even as he mourns the recent death of his wife, Doris. Vicks, who has shepherded the event for decades, asked relatives to step up so the weekend’s march and festival would go forward as planned. For many East Side residents, the parade doubles as a beloved neighborhood party and a public reminder that the fight for liberty and justice is still very much alive.
This year’s parade is scheduled to start at Sam Houston High School at 9 a.m. Saturday, then travel roughly 3.2 miles across the East Side to Comanche Park. Organizers say the event has grown from a small gathering of marchers to more than 1,000 participants last year. After Doris Vicks died on May 28, donations for the celebration were made in lieu of flowers, and Oscar Vicks asked his sister, Sherry Thompson, to help lead the effort so the tradition would not lose momentum. Those details and more are reported by San Antonio Report.
Organizer's message
“I want to prove that we can get together and fight for liberty, equality, and justice for all,” Vicks told reporters, summing up the parade’s theme. He has said the event is designed to lift the entire community and to keep the history behind Juneteenth front and center, as San Antonio Report details.
How the parade is funded
The nonprofit Juneteenth Freedom Coalition covers costs through sponsorships, an annual banquet, T-shirt sales and a souvenir book, according to the group’s website. Vicks has credited major donors, along with dozens of volunteers, for keeping the parade on the road year after year. Details on sponsorship levels and donations are available at the coalition’s site, the Juneteenth Freedom Coalition of San Antonio.
What to expect Saturday
On Saturday, spectators can expect marching bands, community floats, Buffalo Soldier re-enactors and a now-regular Spurs-themed float as the procession moves toward Comanche Park and the festival grounds. After the parade, vendors, live music and a souvenir program are set to round out the day. Groups that still want to take part are listed on the event page, and the official event listing with logistics and registration is posted on Eventbrite.
A local tradition
Vicks joined parade leadership back in the 1980s and took on organizing the annual Juneteenth parade in 1999. His work as a veteran and East Side advocate has helped the celebration become a neighborhood institution. Local media have long highlighted his efforts to bring schools, civic groups and veterans’ organizations together around Juneteenth, including coverage by KSAT.
With streets, floats and speakers already lined up for Saturday, Vicks is calling on neighbors to come out, remember the day’s history and keep pressing for “freedom, equality and justice for all” in the years ahead. Organizers say the meaning of the parade, and the work that keeps it going, matters now more than ever.
