Juneteenth Match Day

More than 15,000 supporters filled the streets of Seattle as the March to the Match made its way from Pier 58 toward Lumen Field. At the front, members of the Buffalo Soldiers of Seattle rode on horseback, leading United States supporters on Juneteenth in a powerful expression of history, remembrance and pride.

Inside the stadium, artwork by local artists Damon Brown and Samray Estifanos appeared throughout the venue, while Seattle basketball legend Gary Payton delivered a pre-match video message sharing the history and meaning of the holiday.

A Juneteenth Match Day Advisory Committee, composed of Black community leaders, historians, educators, artists and advocates, shaped the vision for the day and helped ensure its story was shared by the people and communities who have carried it forward for generations.

Partnerships with BlackPast.org and the Northwest African American Museum connected visitors with Black history, including NAAM’s The Story of the Salute exhibition. SeattleFWC26’s Juneteenth XI and Ancestor’s Jersey video series brought Black athletes and community leaders into the conversation through their own stories.

The work also honored Dr. Quintard Taylor, founder of BlackPast.org, whose scholarship documented Black history in Seattle and around the world.

Nearly 85,000 people gathered at Waterfront Park throughout June 19, where Juneteenth programming, live performances and the World Cup came together along Seattle’s waterfront.

Damon Brown and Samray Estifanos’ original designs appeared on commemorative scarves and pins, Monorail columns and inside Lumen Field. At the Seattle International Media Center, community leaders joined a public conversation about Juneteenth and African American history. Men in Blazers broadcast from Seattle with Marshawn Lynch and DeAndre Yedlin, carrying the day to an audience far beyond the city.

For many young Black fans in the stands, June 19 offered another image to remember: Black players representing the United States on the world’s biggest sporting stage while their history and culture filled the city around them.

Many came to Seattle for soccer. They left knowing more about the country that welcomed them.