Miami Beach Remembers Juneteenth at West 8’s Pride Park, Miami Beach

This year, Juneteenth (June 19^th) marked the 155th anniversary of the day slaves in Texas were notified of the end of legal slavery – years after the Emancipation Proclamation. For the first time in Miami Beach’s history, the city recognized this event by hosting a ceremony at Pride Park, designed by West 8 and completed in 2020. The ceremony included the planting of a rainbow eucalyptus tree to symbolize and celebrate the contributions of African Americans to Miami Beach and an 8 minute and 46 second moment of silence to reflect on the past, present and future.

West 8 Project leaders Ashley Schwemmer and Daniel Vasini (photo below), along with others in attendance, wrote positive words and messages on stones and placed them under the tree in a gesture of solidarity and collective dedication to growing a more inclusive community. West 8 feels proud that Pride Park was the selected site to host this important event.