Boxes of Girl Scout cookies, pizza, and free haircuts provided to all residents

San Quentin residents celebrated Juneteenth through artistic expressions of music, poetry, and dance, even though California has yet to recognize it as a state holiday.

An SQ resident found the celebration to be ironic, because people in prison celebrated the federal holiday, but the state that oversees the prison does not.

“I was surprised to learn that Juneteenth was not a state holiday,” said SQ resident Charles Carter. “The state lawmakers should draw up a bill that would make Juneteenth a legal holiday.” 

Residents gathered on the Lower Yard to celebrate “Freedom Day,” which commemorates that on June 19, 1865, Texas was the final state to receive notice that slavery was abolished. 

Incarcerated event planners Michael Russell, Sammie Nichols, and Eric Allen hosted the event; they welcomed all residents, volunteers, and custody staff. 

Russell told attendees that “we are passing out food for everyone but that’s not why we are here.”

A box of Girl Scout cookies and a slice of pizza were provided to the entire general population of 2,367 residents.  

Allen said that more than 35 volunteers had made donations; he wanted people to show their gratitude for the support. 

He thanked SQ medical staff Ms. Bev, Summer Littlefield, and Tracy Sanders for donating their time and effort to serve the food.

Nichols asked the attendees to show appreciation for the women behind this event; the crowd exploded in cheers and applause, giving the women a standing ovation.

One mother of a Girl Scout, on the event’s GoFundMe web page, said, “In the spirit of this historic day, the community supporting the Girl Scout troop[s] to deliver cookies to the men at SQ, will give the men…hope that their communities might support them in their second chance as a contributing member of society.” 

On the yard’s basketball court, incarcerated artists displayed portraits and greeting cards that depicted the beauty of Black women past and present.  

“Respect and protect my Mother, Sister and Daughter,” Douglas “Poetry” Dawkins wrote on his artwork. “I wrote this concerning my personal feelings, as a son and a father, my art celebrates the elders whom I value sincerely.” 

Resident Stan Bey displayed a pencil on paper of ballerina Misty Copeland and a pen on canvas of rapper Tupac Shakur.

“My art symbolizes and recognizes Black culture to lift people up and to inspire them,” Bey said.

Residents provided free haircuts and hair braiding as their way to serve the community on Juneteenth.

“I am putting some of my artistic value into haircutting this Juneteenth,” said Kenneth Bishop Thurman. 

Ronnie Perly stated that today he was celebrating freedom by braiding hair for free.

“I love braiding hair every chance I get, helping people look good, so they can feel good,” Perly said.

Resident Jamal Harris motivated the crowd for the next performance with the words “Say it loud!” The crowd responded, “I’m Black and I’m Proud!” The lyrics came from a James Brown 1970s song. 

The resident dance group Sole Unique performed a hip-hop dance routine. The group consisted of SQ youth and elders. They performed a pop locking routine to Michael Jackson’s “Working Day and Night,” E-40’s “Drip Like Water,” and Kendrick Lamar’s “Squabble Up.”

Each dancer performed a solo routine. Resident Aaron Moten did his signature back flip, sending waves of cheers throughout the crowd. 

As the celebration continued, guest dancer Tamika Harris and drummers Alhassane Camera and Nii Mantse Addy of the Dunya Dancers performed traditional African dance routines. T. Harris performed a routine called Casa (Harvest Dance). 

“When we plant the seeds it will enable us to grow as a community. African dance is not just about watching, it’s about participating,” T. Harris said. “As a woman I cannot do this by myself, so I am asking the brothers to come up and help me.” 

The SQ men obliged her request and joined her front and center, clapping and dancing to the beat of the drums.

After the men, T. Harris invited the female staff and volunteers to join her. About five ladies followed her lead and danced to the beat of drums.

The attendees gave the ladies a big round of applause followed by an array of cheers. “This is how we do it,” said T. Harris.

Nichols introduced facility elder Amir Shabazz; he greeted everyone with “As-Salaamu Alaykum.” He said this message is for everyone regardless of his or her ethnicity and or religion. 

Nichols instructed the residents to “read, recite, and proclaim, because freedom is not doing what you want to do. Freedom is doing what you need to do.” 

At a previous celebration former SQ resident Watani Stiner gave his perspective on Juneteenth, enlightening the incarcerated on the primary focus.

“So, let this Juneteenth celebration…be more than a remembrance of what the enslaved Africans in Galveston, Texas, did not know,” he said. “Let us, instead celebrate what we do know, and what we do know is that we have a responsibility and an obligation to remember and learn from our history.”