Over the past few years, Bookers has grown into a successful brand, offering mixes that help make traditional soul food recipes more accessible to cooks both new and old. This June, Safeway grocery stores will showcase Bookers as part of their annual Juneteenth celebration: an in-store event for local communities featuring live music, community outreach and, of course, more than a little good food.

Juneteenth is just one of many events that Safeway commemorates with in-store celebrations throughout the year, creating space for local communities to come together and share their cultures. “From Celebrations of Black History, to a Taste of Hispanic Heritage, to Festa Italiana, to Lunar New Year and beyond, our passion is helping shoppers celebrate through culture and cuisine,” says Tracy Galindo, who plans and executes Safeway’s in-store themed events. “All while supporting local, minority-owned small businesses as they thrive and get discovered by new audiences.”

Galindo has organized in-store Black History celebrations for 20 years, and helped organize Safeway’s first Juneteenth event back in 2021; however, Juneteenth has been an important day to millions of Americans for nearly 160 years. The holiday was first celebrated on June 19, 1866, a year after enslaved men and women in Galveston, Texas, received news that they were free following Confederate General Robert E. Lee’s surrender in the Civil War.

The holiday tradition was continued by Texans in the years that followed, and eventually became a tradition for Black Americans in states across the country. “My parents were very big on African American history, so my family has celebrated Juneteenth since my early childhood,” says Duane Myko, owner of plant-based burger company Everything Legendary. “I think it is very important to recognize the end of something so terrible.” In 2021, Congress finally passed legislation officially recognizing Juneteenth as a federal holiday.

“It is, for Black folks, a second day of independence in America,” Claude Booker says.

As part of their Juneteenth events, Safeway strives to support local communities by offering grants to nonprofit organizations. In the D.C. area, the grants have supported groups like Black Women Build, a community development nonprofit dedicated to home renovation and financial education, and the Greater Washington D.C. Urban League, one of D.C.’s oldest civil rights organizations. The goal of these in-store events isn’t just to celebrate local communities on one day—it’s to support them throughout the year. “One powerful way to honor Juneteenth is by encouraging shoppers to purchase from local Black-owned businesses,” says Galindo. “By doing so, we can help these businesses gain the visibility they need, and enrich our communities with diverse products, services and cultural experiences.”