Statewide
Juneteenth Rodeo Brings Oregonians Together
Oregon Community Foundation is a proud sponsor of the 8 Seconds Juneteenth Rodeo at Portland’s Veterans Memorial Coliseum on June 16, 2024. Doors open at 3 p.m. and the show begins at 7 p.m. It’s a way to commemorate the emancipation of enslaved people in the United States and celebrate a historically overlooked aspect of Black culture. OCF partnered with rodeo founder Ivan McClellan and filmmaker Jason Hill to produce this video about the rodeo.
Here’s how Ivan McClellan described the impact of the event:
“Rodeo is something that gathers people of all different cultures, backgrounds and economic levels. At the end of the day, we all eat. And this is a connection to the land and connection to agriculture in a very entertaining way. We’re in the middle of Portland … and we’re doing a very rural thing. Just creating bridges, moments of unity and harmony is something that we’re really passionate about.”