Ron Edwards Healdsburg Vice Mayor

Protect our community food safety nets.

Impending welfare modifications impact thousands of struggling local households. Decreasing nutritional aid increases the daily pressure on municipal non profit organizations.

Discover my specific plan to combat regional hunger effectively. 🍎🛡️

🌐 https://ronedwardshealdsburg.com/

Reflecting on Juneteenth and Our Shared History

As we approach June 19th, we observe Juneteenth—a day often called America’s "second Independence Day." It commemorates June 19, 1865, when Union General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas, to enforce the Emancipation Proclamation and announce the end of the Civil War, finally freeing the last remaining enslaved people in the Confederacy more than two years after President Lincoln’s executive order.

While Juneteenth symbolizes freedom, hope, and the resilience of Black Americans, it is also a vital moment for us here in Healdsburg to look inward and confront our own local history.
For too long, the narrative of California as a default "free state" has obscured a more uncomfortable truth. The foundation of early Sonoma County and Healdsburg was deeply intertwined with the institution of slavery and Confederate ideology:

Enslaved Families in Healdsburg: Historical records, such as those from the Sonoma County Slavery Historical Research Project, show that families like the Tombs family were brought overland from Missouri plantations to Healdsburg farms in bo***ge. Their enslaver, William Holloway Tombs, wasn't a fringe citizen—he served as a local Justice of the Peace, Notary Public, and prominent member of the Healdsburg Grange.

The Healdsburg Squatter War: In 1862, the ideological battles of the Civil War turned violent right here in our backyard. Pro-slavery, secessionist squatters armed themselves and fought local authorities to maintain their footprint and political influence in Sonoma County.
Resistance to Abolition: The struggle for civil rights faced intense local hostility; in 1866, a Freedman’s Aid Society lecturer trying to advocate for newly emancipated people was met with violence and pelted with rotten eggs in Healdsburg.

We cannot fully celebrate freedom without acknowledging where it was denied in our own neighborhoods. The labor of exploited and bonded individuals helped build the early agricultural wealth of this region, while their stories were largely left out of our history books.
This Juneteenth, I invite all Healdsburg citizens to stand in solidarity with our African American neighbors. Let this not just be a day off, but a day of reflection. By honestly acknowledging our past, we can better commit ourselves to the ongoing work of equity, justice, and making Healdsburg a truly welcoming community for everyone.

In remembrance of the past and with a commitment to the future, have a reflective Juneteenth.

Ron Edwards

Im very happy for fellow Vice Mayor and Assembly candidate Jackie Elward. Looking at the trend of voters, you're looking good .

Summer music returns to the plaza.

Bring a lawn chair down for exciting weekly performances. Local food vendors serve delicious dinners while children play safely on the lawn.

Enjoy a beautiful evening of free outdoor entertainment tonight. 🎸🍔

🌐 https://ronedwardshealdsburg.com/