Recognizing Juneteenth
Crossposted from Metro Matters
On Thursday, June 19, we recognize Juneteenth—a celebration of the freedom of enslaved African Americans in the United States. It’s a time to gather in community, reflect on our nation’s long and unfinished journey towards equity, and reaffirm our shared commitment to justice.
As part of this year’s reflection, Transit Facilities Division Director Adé Franklin shares what Juneteenth means to him, how it shapes his leadership, and why it matters to the work we do every day at Metro. Following his foreword are reflections from a few Metro colleagues on what Juneteenth means to them and how it connects to the ongoing journey of Black liberation, resilience, and the pursuit of justice and joy.
“As a leader at Metro, Juneteenth holds deep meaning for me—not only as a historical milestone, but also as a call to ongoing reflection, equity, and action. Read more.
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Honoring Juneteenth: A day to learn, reflect, and act
Dear fellow King County employee,
As we prepare to celebrate Juneteenth tomorrow, June 19, I want to take a moment to recognize the deep significance of this day, not only in American history, but also in our collective journey toward racial justice, equity, and freedom.
Juneteenth commemorates June 19, 1865, when the last enslaved Black Americans in Galveston, Texas, were informed of their freedom — more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed. It is a day that represents the long and ongoing struggle for true racial equity and freedom, and an opportunity to learn from some of the most shameful aspects of our past as we work to create a better future.
King County first celebrated Juneteenth as an official, annual County holiday in 2022 to reflect on our nation’s history of racial injustice and reaffirm our commitment to building a racially just future.
Juneteenth is a day for reflection, but also for action. It calls on us to learn from the past, confront present injustices, and imagine a future grounded in dignity, equity, and inclusion for all. It reminds us that freedom is not static – it must be protected, expanded, and renewed by each generation.
Racial injustice, inequality, and race-based violence remain deeply embedded in our society today. Juneteenth is an important symbol of the ongoing fight for freedom — and a reminder of how far we have come and how far we still have to go, to truly achieve a racially just America.
Black History is our history, the heritage of our nation and county. As we celebrate Juneteenth, I encourage you to take time to learn, reflect, and participate in ways that feel meaningful to you — whether through reading, community events, conversations, or acts of service.
Together, we can build a strong, pro-equity, anti-racist future and an equitable and welcoming King County where every person can thrive.
Sincerely,
Shannon Braddock
King County Executive
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Juneteenth: A personal reflection on freedom, struggle, and pride as a Black man in modern America
By a Black man living in modern history -William Herbert, Human Resources professional with Metro Transit Mobility Division, and Water and Land Resources Division
Foreword
Every year, June 19th rolls around, and for many in America, it may pass like any other summer day. But for me—as a Black man, military veteran, husband, and father living in modern-day America—Juneteenth is not just a date in history. It’s a mirror. A memorial. A celebration. And a call to action. It’s a day that encapsulates the joy of freedom, the weight of delayed justice, and the enduring fight for dignity in a country that was built, in large part, on the backs of people who looked like me.
Understanding the history
On June 19, 1865, two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation, Union soldiers led by General Gordon Granger, finally arrived in Galveston, Texas, to inform the last group of enslaved Black people that they were free. Imagine the audacity of that delay—years of continued enslavement after freedom had been declared.
For me, that delay represents more than just historical injustice. It echoes through generations, showing up in our present struggles with systemic racism, economic inequality, education gaps, and criminal justice disparities. Juneteenth isn’t just about the moment we were told we were free—it’s about the time it took for freedom to reach us, and how freedom continues to be something we must fight to fully experience.
Why it matters to me today
As a Black man navigating today’s America, Juneteenth is a day where my personal identity meets collective memory. It matters because freedom in this country has always been conditional for people like me. Even now, I’m constantly reminded that my skin is seen before my humanity in many spaces—from the boardroom to the street corner.
Juneteenth gives me space to honor my ancestors, who endured unspeakable pain, yet still dreamed, created, loved, and fought. It allows me to celebrate the resilience that lives in my bloodline. It forces me to confront how far we’ve come—and how much further we must go.
A celebration, not just a party
There’s music, food, dancing, and Black joy on Juneteenth. And that joy is radical. It’s protest and praise in one breath. But I also see Juneteenth as a sacred responsibility. It’s a day to remember that freedom is not a finish line—it’s a lifelong pursuit. It’s about reflecting on what liberation means in real terms: ownership, self-determination, mental health, safety, and opportunity.
Celebrating Juneteenth means asking myself, how am I living out the legacy of freedom? Am I supporting my community? Am I showing up for Black women, Black LGBTQ+ folks, and young Black people trying to find their voice in a world that often silences them? Am I investing in my healing and growth?
In modern history, the fight isn’t over
In a world where Black lives are still being taken by police violence, where voter suppression tactics target communities of color, and where the history of slavery is being watered down in classrooms, Juneteenth reminds me that our liberation is still under threat. It reminds me to stay awake, stay loud, and stay proud.
It also fills me with hope. Because despite it all, we are still here—creating art, shaping policy, building businesses, raising families, leading movements. Juneteenth is proof that no matter how long it takes, truth rises. Justice pushes forward. And we, as a people, endure.
My freedom, my responsibility
Juneteenth is not just Black history—it’s American history. But for me, it’s also a deeply personal reflection. It challenges me to live in a way that honors the sacrifices made so I could be free. That means standing tall, speaking truth, and refusing to shrink in the face of injustice.
So, when I celebrate Juneteenth, I do it not just with pride, but with purpose. I do it knowing that I walk in the footsteps of giants—and yes, everyday people doing their best – and it’s my job to make sure the road continues for those coming behind me.
Juneteenth: A personal mission
As a military veteran, I understand missions. I understand purpose. I understand public service. And each year Juneteenth gives me a consistent reminder of the work that still needs to be done—to make liberty and justice not just ideals we fight for abroad, but realities we live out at home.
Juneteenth pushes me to speak up for my community, to mentor young Black men and women, to challenge systems that devalue our lives, and to show up where it matters. It’s a day to reflect on how far we’ve come—and to recommit to the fight for true equity.
It’s also a moment to rest and rejoice. Black joy is an act of resistance, too. When I laugh with my family, fire up the grill, or hear drums and voices lifted in freedom songs, I know I’m honoring the legacy of those who came before me. I know I’m making space for healing and connection.
A call to us
To the rest of us, I say this: Juneteenth isn’t just Black history. As Americans, it’s all of our history too. It’s the day this nation began to become what it aspired to be. When you truly love this country, you care about the parts of the past that are not only good, but painful. We work together to be our better selves. That’s how healing begins.
In final thought, Juneteenth, to me, is about truth. It’s about honoring sacrifice—both on the battlefield and in the cotton fields. It’s about holding this country accountable to its promise. And it’s about lifting up Black resilience as not just a historical fact, but a living force. It is a force that has built and defended our country and shaped its culture, language, music and communities and more. It is us, and it is worthy of our celebration.
——
William Herbert is a Human Resources professional with Metro Transit Mobility Division, and Water and Land Resources Division. He brings his passion to work, helping to design internship programs and advocating for jobs that connect communities to their local government. His experience as a military veteran, father and Black man in the 21st century, have enriched his perspectives on access, fairness and creating community.
Local Juneteenth events
Wednesday, June 18, at 5 p.m. 24th Annual Juneteenth Celebration, at Rainier Beach Community Center, 8825 Rainier Avenue South Seattle, WA 98118 with Public Health – Seattle & King County. For more information or tickets, click here.
Wednesday, June 18 at 11:30 a.m. “BLACK INTERSECTIONS: Resilience, Persistence, and Joy!” Honored guest Justice G. Helen Whitener of the Washington State Supreme Court, is the first Black woman to serve on the Washington State Supreme Court, the fourth immigrant-born Justice and the first Black LGBT Supreme Court Justice in the nation and the State of Washington. Justice Whitener identifies as a person with a disability and speaks often to local, national, and international organizations on human rights and access to justice. Join the Zoom meeting here. Use Meeting ID: 818 0434 7614 and Passcode: 302388. This event is brought to you by Transformational Conversations. For questions, please contact Cecelia.Hayes@kingcounty.gov.
Thursday, June 19, at noon. Juneteenth Festival, at Jimi Hendrix Park, 2400 S Massachusetts St, Seattle, WA 98144. For more information, visit https://www.summerofsoulseries.org/juneteenth.
Thursday, June 19, at 11 a.m. 2025 Juneteenth Celebration, at Stewart Heights Park, 5715 Reginald Gutierrez Ln, Tacoma, WA 98404. For more information, visit https://www.juneteenthwa.com.
Wednesday, June 25, from 1 to 2 p.m. “Intersectional Pride: Black Trans Power & Mobility” This virtual conversation will feature the Lavender Rights Project, a Black trans-led, BIPOC-staffed grassroots organization based in Seattle. Together, we’ll explore what it means to move through the world as Black queer and trans people—and how race, gender identity, and mobility are deeply connected. This conversation will uplift community voices, examine structural barriers, and spark collective action toward equitable transportation systems, all through the lens of Black liberation. Join Join the Zoom meeting here. Use Meeting ID: 869 4222 4687 and Passcode: 480661. To learn more, visit lavenderrightsproject.org.
Thursday, June 26, from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Celebrating Clean Water Connects Us All in Skyway, at Bryn Mawr Elementary School, 8212 S 118th St, Seattle, WA 98178. For more information, contact Ellany Kayce at ekayce@kingcounty.gov or 206-477-2261.
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The Parent Champions Pilot Program receives BRG Innovation Award for Service
Pictured: Parent Champions group facilitators Ya’Vonne Hubbard (left) and Fathia Hammad.
The Parent Champions Pilot Program has received the 2024 Best-Run Government (BRG) Innovation Award for Service. Congratulations to the Department of Community and Human Services (DCHS) and the Developmental Disabilities & Early Childhood Supports Division, and their partners for their commitment to Best-Run Government! A special thank you to the program’s project manager Juliette Escobar and group facilitators Ya’Vonne Hubbard and Fathia Hammad.
The Innovation Award for Service recognizes workgroups and teams that have made progress on our customer service goals to prioritize customer-centered services, improve the customer experience, increase staff understanding of customer needs, and/or incorporate service practices and processes into their project.
“I was thrilled to present the BRG Innovation Award for Service to the Parent Champions Pilot in DCHS,” says Brittany Carter, King County Customer Experience Lead for the Office of Performance, Strategy, and Budget. “The Parent Champions Program is a win in so many ways. The program clearly identified its customers and empowered them to become engaged and part of the ongoing solution. The program also built vital partnerships with community groups and families, and trust and confidence in government services” says Carter.
The Parent Champions Pilot Program created a community-driven solution to address stigmas and misconceptions that were preventing culturally and linguistically diverse families from accessing developmental screenings and related services for children. The solution included community programs with Parent Champions who weren’t just participants. They were trusted leaders who engaged 153 people about early childhood development and/or developmental screening. The program resulted in expanding families’ access to developmental screening services in a way that feels safe, welcoming, and supportive, ensuring more children receive the support they need during early childhood.
“The foundation of this initiative was built on respect for the lived experiences of families, particularly those from immigrant and refugee backgrounds,” says Juliette Escobar, Project Manager of the Parent Champions Pilot. “We recognized the historical distrust and stigma surrounding developmental screening and approached the work with humility, curiosity, and deep respect. Rather than imposing a system that wasn’t working, they listened, learned, and co-created a solution that honored families’ knowledge and priorities.”
“Congratulations to Juliette and the Parent Champions Pilot team!” says Kelly Rider, Director of DCHS. “Engaging the expertise of parents and other caregivers enables our developmental screenings to be more racially just and responsive to customer needs. Thank you for helping to make King County a welcoming community where every person can thrive – including the parents and children of King County.”
“Juliette made space for families’ voices and experiences to lead the way. The Parent Champions Pilot is such a beautiful example of that — and of what’s possible when we slow down, listen deeply, and build trust,” says Magan Cromar, Division Director of the Developmental Disabilities and Early Childhood Supports Division. “The Parent Champions Pilot Program demonstrated how systems can change when we listen to the wisdom of the community and take action based on what families truly need,” says Escobar.
Congratulations again to the Parent Champions Pilot! Look for more updates as the program grows. Escobar says, “We have begun to partner with the Performance Measurement and Evaluation team in DCHS to design a deep dive evaluation project and hope to scale up to more community partners in 2026.”
To learn more about the BRG Awards and to watch a video presentation that introduces all the 2024 award recipients, visit the Best-Run Government Awards webpage.
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How to get a 2025 King County Pride t-shirt and volunteer for the parade, June 29
There are two ways to get your King County Pride shirt this year:
Be one of the first 75 King County participants to arrive as part of the King County contingent at the Seattle Pride Parade on Sunday, June 29, and you can receive a free shirt.
Or, if you want to ensure you get a shirt and in your preferred size, you can order in advance by following the steps below. This year’s Pride shirts range in cost from $16.89 – $22.89 (before tax), with sizes available to order from adult small to 6XL. Pre-ordered shirts will be available for pickup from the Metro Pride Bus at the Seattle Pride Parade on June 29. Details about the contingent’s meeting time and location will be shared soon. If you’re unable to pick up your shirt at the event, you can schedule a pickup at a Metro warehouse in Tukwila on Tuesday or Thursday between 9 a.m. and noon, after June 29, by emailing Gerald Freeman at gerald.freeman@kingcounty.gov.
T-shirt orders must be placed by no later than Tuesday, June 24. How to place an order:
- Visit donsgroupattire.com. If you are a first-time user, use this link and follow the instructions here.
- Click on “Uniforms” in the top navigation bar
- After logging in, click “Uniforms” to view the available Pride shirt
- Select the King County Pride Shirt (only one option)
- Complete the order form and proceed to checkout
- On the checkout page, select “Pick up at Don’s.” Shipping is not available and will not work if you try to complete an order with a shipping address.
- Finalize your payment
- Pick-up your shirt from the Metro Pride Bus at the Seattle Pride Parade June 29 (meet up time and location to follow) or schedule a time to retrieve it at a Metro warehouse by emailing Gerald Freeman at gerald.freeman@kingcounty.gov.
Volunteers are also needed
Pride Parade Coordinators are needed to be the point of contact, help get the word out to the rest of the county, help distribute t-shirts, and help keep Pride contingent safe and organized. Email metrolgbtqia@kingcounty.gov if you are interested.
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King County Security Tips – How secure is your mobile device?
Most of us have a smartphone, but how many of us really think about the security threats faced by these mobile devices? Mobile devices are vulnerable to many different types of threats. The bad guys are increasing attacks on mobile devices and targeting your phone using malicious applications. Using these methods, they can steal personal and business information without you having any idea what’s going on.
Even if you’ve downloaded a security or antivirus application, securing your smartphone goes beyond these services. Improving your mobile security practices is your best defense against the privacy and security issues associated with your mobile device. How can I improve my mobile security practices? Always remember these best practices to minimize the risk of exploits to your mobile devices:
- Ensure your phone’s operating system is always up to date. Operating systems are often updated in order to fix security flaws. Many malicious threats are caused by security flaws that remain unfixed due to an out of date operating system.
- Watch out for malicious apps in your app store. Official app stores regularly remove applications containing malware, but sometimes these dangerous apps slip past and can be downloaded by unsuspecting users. Do your research, read reviews and pay attention to the number of downloads it has. Never download applications from sources other than official app stores.
- Ensure applications are not asking for access to things on your phone that are irrelevant to their function. Applications usually ask for a list of permissions to files, folders, other applications, and data before they’re downloaded. Don’t blindly approve these permissions. If the permission requests seem unnecessary, look for an alternative application in your app store.
- No password or weak password protection. Many people still don’t use a password to lock their phone. If your device is lost or stolen, thieves will have easy access to all of the information stored on your phone.
- Be careful with public WiFi. The bad guys use technology that lets them see what you’re doing. Avoid logging in to your online services or performing any sensitive transactions (such as banking) over public WiFi.
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King County Metro to install operator safety partitions fleetwide
Crossposted from Metro Matters
King County Metro bus operators are evaluating safety partition designs as part of the planning process for retrofitting up to 1,300 of the agency’s 1,400 buses. Existing buses not being upgraded will be replaced by a recent order for 89 new buses that have a partition already installed.
From now through July 5, four buses, each with a different style of partition currently available on the market, will be touring Metro’s bases. The safety partitions, which riders will begin seeing on both new and existing buses later this year, offer increased size and durability to better protect Metro bus operators.
“King County is moving forward as quickly as possible to select and install operator safety partitions on every Metro bus, fulfilling our commitment to enhance transit safety for operators and riders,” said Executive Braddock. “We listened to our operators’ feedback, which led to improved, larger partition designs and the installation of safety partitions on the 89 new buses arriving next year.” Read more.
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Supervisor Spotlight: Highlighting those behind the scenes who keep us moving
Crossposted from Metro Matters
It takes a lot of people to keep a transit system running smoothly across 150 routes and over 300,000 boardings a day.
Bus drivers are the most visible part of any transit system, and there are people behind the scenes who are just as vital in the day-to-day operation of King County Metro.
Their responsibilities include training operators, planning the routes that run throughout the region, and literally being the “traffic controllers” who keep track of the buses on their daily runs.
They’re also the former bus drivers who use their knowledge to guide current drivers. Some were interested in transit from a young age and who put their backgrounds from other fields into good use.
And sometimes, they’re invisible co-pilots that help you get where you need to go when you ride with Metro.
We’d like to introduce you to the staff that help keep the wheels on the bus going “round and round” every day. Read more.
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King County announces five-year plan for climate action
King County Executive Shannon Braddock announced the 2025–2030 Strategic Climate Action Plan today, partnering with the Executive Climate Office to send the proposal to the King County Council for consideration. The plan reinforces King County’s commitment to climate action that delivers measurable results — working across county departments and in collaboration with community partners.
It builds off the significant progress King County has made in several areas and sets a bold course to cut greenhouse gas emissions, support climate-resilient communities, and invest in a sustainable and equitable region.
“King County is staying true to our core values while advancing on bold climate action that puts frontline communities first,” said Executive Braddock. “We are excited to keep working with our partners to turn these ambitious plans into real progress.” Read more.
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2025 Employee Engagement Survey results
A total of 8,524 King County employees shared their thoughts in the 2025 Employee Engagement Survey on what we’re doing well, where we can improve, and how we can build an even better workplace.
Employees in the Executive Branch, and in King County Elections, King County Assessor’s Office, and King County Council were eligible to participate in the survey, which found that overall employee engagement is 69%, a 4-point increase from the last survey. Some of the key results include 75% of employees said that they apply equity, racial, and social justice in their daily work, and 71% feel that equity and social justice are related to their job responsibilities. In addition, 75% of respondents said they would recommend King County as a place to work, seven points above the industry average.
You can see all the results here and click the image below to watch a short overview video.
Employee News 