By: Avideh Yaghmai Samardar

The 18th Annual Juneteenth Celebration at Menlo Park Senior Center was held Thursday, June 15. Juneteenth is the oldest known celebration commemorating the ending of slavery in the United States, dating back to 1865. This event is held each year as a part of the Senior Center’s Building Bridges series of activities, where staff brings different cultures together in hopes for better understanding and tolerance. For each of the Building Bridges events, the guests are encouraged to dress up in their ethnic outfits, and come with the mission of not only to have fun, but also to learn something new about the culture being showcased. This year’s Juneteenth festivities, dance, delicious home-cooked southern food, and live toe-tapping music by Felton Brookter, a popular local senior musician, was enjoyed by over 75 people in attendance.