Miami Beach Remembers Juneteenth at West 8’s Pride Park, Miami Beach
This year, Juneteenth (June 19th) 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.
