PLEASANT HILL — As people celebrate Juneteenth, many are also thinking about Willie Mays and what he meant to the black community.
On Pleasant Hill Wednesday, people gathered to reflect on those who paved the way for African Americans today.
It’s only the second annual Juneteenth celebration in Pleasant Hill. QuyNitta McDade was there with her husband and two boys. She was in disbelief when she heard of Mays’ death. “The first thing I said was, ‘Oh no. Not Willie!’
Not only did McDade admire Mays from afar, she also works at a law firm he regularly visited.
“When he came, he was so down to earth,” she remembers. “He knew the gravity and he carried the weight of his legacy, but he didn’t want to treat people like he was above them.”
While Jackie Robinson was the first, the “Say Hey Kid” continued to keep the playing field open for Black Ball players.
“I play shortstop, second base, center field, pitcher and first base,” Matthew McDade said.
“When you see Willie and the great things he’s done, it lets my kids – my young boys – know that they can be them too,” QuyNitta said.
On this June 16th, the message could not be clearer. Lisa Sanders and her daughter Maliyah celebrate the progress that has been made and the work that remains to be done.
“I am my ancestors’ wildest dream,” Sanders said. “It’s just like the things my ancestors couldn’t have the opportunity and freedom to do… everything they fought for in the past, we can do today.”
QuyNitta McDade had a message for Mays.
“Rest in peace, Willie,” she said. “You will always be remembered – never forgotten!”
