About 150 people plunged into the Pacific Saturday at Cowell’s Beach for the third annual Liberation Paddle Out celebration of Juneteenth.
With the aid of around two dozen experienced surfers and other supporters, the crowd fitted themselves with wetsuits, took in a brief surf lesson in the sand and then scrambled into the Pacific for an afternoon of surfing under sunny skies with one- to two-foot waves.
Laura Owen, director at Santa Cruz Credit Union, said it was her first time surfing.
“It’s very empowering,” she said. “I’m always scared to go into the water, but today I’m very excited to be a part of this and to see so many people out doing activities like this.”
The event was hosted by Black Surf Santa Cruz whose goal is to to promote physical and spiritual wellness through surf in the Santa Cruz community.
“We are driven by the need and urgency for inclusivity, diversity and equality,” a statement reads on its website.
Juneteenth, declared a federal holiday in the United States by President Joe Biden in 2021, commemorates the emancipation of enslaved African Americans. The name derives from the combination of June and nineteenth. On June 19, 1865, Major General Gordon Granger gave the order proclaiming freedom for enslaved people in Texas.
Though the Emancipation Proclamation had taken effect Jan. 1, 1863, the westernmost Confederate state of Texas continued to enslave people until June 19, 1865, thus marking the historical date, according to the Smithsonian National Museum.
Rachel Kippen, board member of Black Surf Santa Cruz, said she was delighted with the turnout.
“People were carrying flowers out into the surf as it got under way,” she said. “It’s a great celebration.”
