CASE STUDY: SAN FRANCISCO JUNETEENTH

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Client: San Francisco Juneteenth Parade and Festival, produced by Tamara Walker of Burge LLC

Date: June 20, 2026

Role: Public Relations and Communications Lead

Scope: Press materials, media relations, talent, vendors, and social media

San Francisco's Juneteenth Parade and Festival is a citywide celebration of freedom and Black culture, part of a tradition established in 1945. The 2026 parade carried the theme Freedom Then. Freedom Now. The parade moved from Market and Second Street to a waterfront celebration at Embarcadero Plaza. An event of that size has to reach far more people than the crowd along the route, and it has to explain why the day matters before anyone arrives.

Ni Ema led public relations and communications for the parade and festival, working alongside producer Tamara Walker of Burge LLC. The role covered the full communications cycle, from the first media advisory to the post-event recap, and extended into talent, vendors, and social media.

Press materials that travel. On June 3, Ni Ema wrote the media advisory and press release announcing the celebration. Those materials went out to more than 1,000 journalists, publications, and outlets across California.

Broadcast before the parade. She secured broadcast interviews for producer Tamara Walker in the days before the parade, so Bay Area audiences heard the story of the celebration from the person building it.

One voice across every channel. She directed media relations, talent, vendor communications, and social media through the recap, keeping the message consistent from announcement to aftermath. She also booked her client, author Marial Dhal, for a featured address.

DeJ Loaf headlined, joined by The LeVert Experience featuring Men at Large, C. Titus, Lolita Sweet, Silky E, and Domingo and Friends. Ally Edwards, Miss Greater San Francisco, hosted. Mayor Daniel Lurie and Nancy Pelosi were in attendance.

Coverage: KTVU FOX 2, CBS News Bay Area, KRON 4, Telemundo, KQED Arts and Culture, the San Francisco Examiner, and Bay Area Parent. News crews, including Univision and Telemundo, covered the celebration on the day.

Partners: Target, the Golden State Warriors and Golden State Valkyries, and San Francisco International Airport.