The Portland Timbers and Thorns FC will honor this weekend's Juneteenth holiday through a series of initiatives during the Timbers' match away at the LA Galaxy on June 18 (2pm PT, ESPN) and the Thorns' June 19 match at Providence Park against the Orlando Pride (12pm PT, TICKETS, FOX 12 PLUS / Paramount+), doing so in partnership with Black Players for Change, the Black Women's Players Collective, Major League Soccer, and the National Women's Soccer League.
Juneteenth celebrates the emancipation of slaves in the United States. The holiday recognizes the June 19, 1865, military order that enforced emancipation in Texas, the westernmost of the Confederate states. The order came nearly three years after Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation and two-and-a-half years after emancipation of slaves in the Confederacy went into effect.
To honor the holiday, the club will donate $100 for each corner kick won by Portland teams during the weekend's matches to the Maurice Lucas Foundation – a Portland-based organization which, named for the former Portland Trail Blazers' power forward, "[creates] opportunities for inner city middle school students by providing a combination of education and activity-based after-school programs" in Portland.
June 18: Galaxy vs. Timbers
On Saturday, Timbers players will wear special "Unity" warm-up shirts in pregame (seen below) and their primary green jerseys will have special edition numbers and lettering, designed by LGBTQ+ artist Judah Middleton. Game worn jerseys will be auctioned off in limited edition Middleton designed boxes which includes Langston Hughes' poem, "Freedom."
- SEE MIDDLETON'S DESIGNS: Artist Site
The auction launches on June 20, 2022 on www.mlsauctions.com and will run through July 5 with proceeds of each Timbers jersey sale benefiting the Maurice Lucas Foundation.
June 19: Thorns vs. Pride
On Sunday, the Thorns will be wearing special Juneteenth pregame tops during warmups. Additionally, anthem singer Kyra Smith will be joined by her father, Trevor Smith, to sing "Lift Every Voice and Sing" before the match.
We also encourage fans to support these Black-owned businesses and organizations in Portland:
Educate Elevate Engage
Get educated on social justice issues. Utilize your voice and elevate the voices of others around you. Stay continuously educated and engaged to understand the issues and different viewpoints. Learn more about Juneteenth and other Portland organizations and resources on our Educate Elevate and Engage page.
There are also a number of other Juneteenth events happening across Portland. Find out more:
