Black Scholars Union: Mira Costa students helped Manhattan Beach embrace its first official Juneteenth celebration
by Brianna Smith
Manhattan Beach is celebrating Juneteenth officially for the first time with celebrations on June 19 and 22.
Juneteenth National Independence Day is a federal holiday that celebrates the end of slavery in the United States. The holiday falls on June 19, the same day the final enforcement of the Emancipation Proclamation was ordered.
Discussions for Manhattan Beach’s celebration began in December after community members came together to urge the City Council to hold one. The first event will be a ceremony at Bruce’s Beach Park in the morning and will include speeches from community members and special guests, as well as a performance by a gospel choir. The second event on Saturday will be a lively, family-friendly celebration at Polliwog Park with live music, food, and vendors.
These events may not have been possible without the efforts of Mira Costa High School’s Black Scholars Union, or BSU. At the Parks and Recreation and City Council meetings earlier in the year, students gathered and spoke about the importance of celebrating Juneteenth in Manhattan Beach. Some prepared short speeches beforehand while others spoke in the moment from the heart.
“This event is not a mere appropriation of funds,” said Donnè Ward, president of the BSU, at the December 5 council meeting. “Rather, it is an exploration of the historical journey of African Americans, acknowledging the challenges we have overcome. It serves as a celebration of the progress that allows our people to aspire to have equal standing on the global stage fostering the potential for greatness among our people. Furthermore, hosting a Juneteenth Celebration lets the nation know that Manhattan Beach stands with the idea of unity. It conveys a message that we all stand together, regardless of our backgrounds, to celebrate freedom and equality. Let us take this step towards a more inclusive future where every resident feels seen and heard and valued, regardless of their tax status.”
“Pretty much all throughout my educational experience, I’ve been the only African American girl in all of my classes,” said Raven Melvin, a BSU member. “It’s been hard for me to connect with people who don’t know about me or understand my culture and what makes me, me. So I feel like the Juneteenth celebration will shed light on some of the things that are so important to African American culture, like our food, our attire, our traditions, and more importantly, our history…We go to school, and we are constantly around people who don’t really know anything about us. I believe this celebration will make all of the students of Manhattan Beach more culturally educated and tolerant.”
The BSU was founded in 2011 by Janet Allen, an MCHS school psychologist. Around the same time, MCHS also created clubs like the Latino Scholars Union and the Asian American Club to support their minority groups better. The BSU was created so that Black students could have a space to come together and get to know each other, but has also shown to improve self-esteem and confidence leading to a boost in academics. The BSU has since expanded from being a place of Black community and fellowship to a place for students of any background to learn and celebrate Black culture and topics.
In addition to weekly meetings, the club also hosts events and assemblies like the Black History Month assembly in February. This year, the club and its members have been recognized by the Manhattan Beach City Council, LA County, and the California Senate for their advocacy, leadership, and activism.
“I’ve seen them grow in confidence, advocacy, speaking up – being leaders on our campus,” Allen said. “Not feeling like because they are Black or a different culture or person of color that they can’t be part of the school. It’s increased their willingness to apply and be in different groups and leadership positions on our campus and be strong representatives, and to have a voice and creativity…In [past] years some students felt like they didn’t belong, or like they aren’t seen.”
A unique aspect of MCHS’ BSU lies in the fact that it is called the Black “Scholars Union” – whereas most other schools have a Black Student Union. Allen said that when the club started, they wanted to put an emphasis on studying and uplift their community. Ward also noted that calling themselves scholars, as opposed to just students, pushes back against any notion or race-based agenda that characterizes them as ignorant or not well-spoken.
When the club began, it had a steady roster of about 80 students which has now dwindled down to about 30. The cause lies in fewer Black students enrolling at MCHS, which Allen notes as a concern.
When Black students enter a predominantly white school, they tend to suffer a culture shock. It can be especially difficult to find a community, and space where Black students can be themselves without having to adapt to the environment and peers around them. As a result, some, if not most, students simply opt to attend another school.
Ward said the Black Scholars Union changed his experience at Mira Costa.
“It’s made me a much happier person being in the club,” he said. “Because before, being a freshman, I didn’t really have anybody I was close with, and I was kind of awkward around school….But after joining the club, I really found who I was as a person.”
Allen recounted how she was the only Black faculty member when working at Manhattan Beach Middle School in 2002. She was used to being in majority white schools, but to be the only Black person there was “eye-opening.” Ward similarly said when he was attending Hermosa Valley School, he and his brother were two of maybe four Black students and there were no Black staff members at all.
These solitary experiences are not exclusive to schools. According to the 2023 census, only 0.4% of Manhattan Beach’s population is Black or African American alone. Despite this low percentage, there is a thriving Black community with a history in Manhattan Beach.
“I wanted to get [BSU’s] name out more since there’s not that many Black people at our school. I wanted people to know that there are Black people at Costa High School and that there are Black people in Manhattan Beach and Hermosa Beach,” said Ward. “If we didn’t have a Juneteenth celebration, I’d just feel like we were not only losing a part of our humanity by not having it but also we’re just not celebrating people that we should be celebrating – who fought for this land and a lot of what we have today.”
The Juneteenth ceremony at Bruce’s Beach Park takes place from 10 to 11 a.m. June 19 and will feature speakers and a gospel choir. The City of Manhattan Beach’s Juneteenth Celebration and Concert takes place June 22 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Polliwog Park. ER