HISTORY
Our celebration is built on deep foundations. Explore the intertwined histories of Juneteenth, PACE, and The Union.
JUNETEENTH
Juneteenth is the oldest known celebration commemorating the end of slavery in the United States and now a national holiday.
In 1865, it was on June 19th that the Union soldiers, led by Major General Gordon Granger, arrived in Texas with the news that the war had ended and that the enslaved people of African descent were now free…two and a half years after President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation.
pace
The Pan African Center for Empowerment (PACE), founded in June 2015, is a nonpartisan Washington state 501c3 nonprofit headquartered in Seattle, WA, that works to improve the lives of people of African descent.
PACE is built on a modern mission with a focus on science, technology, entrepreneurship, arts, and media also referred to as our S.T.E.A.M. engine. Through this mission we aim to accelerate people of African descent into the 5th industrial revolution utilizing technology forward advancements in data & AI to counter Surveillance Capitalism.
To #getonPACE, we operate as “Hacktivists,” deconstructing, dismantling, and disrupting systems that have adverse effects on people of African descent. To that extent, PACE’s programs seek to empower those we serve.
THE UNION
Juneteenth also holds additional significance as the anniversary of The Union, an innovation hub, and cultural heritage center located downtown Seattle fostering community, creativity, commerce, and culture for people of African descent.
The Union serves as an education and co-working facility. With a complete content production facility, it provides entrepreneurs and creative professionals alike the resources they need to thrive.
PACE houses our strategic pillars, and The Union is our foundation, ensuring these pillars are firmly grounded in contextualized community execution.
