BAKERSFIELD, Calif.(KBAK/KBFX) — As communities across Kern County prepare to celebrate Juneteenth, Bakersfield attorney Candace Neal is marking the occasion with a milestone of her own.
Neal celebrated the launch of her law practice Thursday evening, but said the event was about more than opening a business. For her, the timing was intentional.
“I wanted to do this during Juneteenth week,” Neal said. “It’s significant, just freedom.”
Candace Neal’s launch party of her law firm, Law Office of Candace Neal, ahead of Juneteenth. (KBAK/KBFX)
Neal, a Bakersfield native, said her path to becoming an attorney was not always easy. She shared that she spent part of her childhood in foster care and grew up in a family that faced financial struggles.
“My family, we didn’t have much, but we loved each other very much. We had a whole lot of love,” Neal said.
Despite those challenges, Neal attended UC Berkeley for both undergraduate studies and law school before working at major law firms in San Francisco and Los Angeles. She later returned home to Bakersfield, where she worked in government before deciding to start her own practice.
“I decided that I no longer just wanted to practice here,” Neal said. “I decided that I wanted to bring something new and to start my own thing here back home in Bakersfield.”
Neal said opening her own firm represents a new kind of freedom and the ability to pursue the work she believes in.
“This is my freedom from the corporate world,” Neal said. “I’m no longer tied to any particular employer.”
Candace Neal’s launch party of her law firm, Law Office of Candace Neal, ahead of Juneteenth. (KBAK/KBFX)
She added that entrepreneurship allows her to focus on issues and causes she feels passionate about serving.
For Neal, the connection between her accomplishment and Juneteenth runs deeper than business ownership.
“What my ancestors had to go through, for me to be able to open my own law practice, for me to be able to do this kind of work, it’s huge,” Neal said. “It’s a blessing. It’s an honor, it’s a service.”
Bakersfield City Councilmember Andrae Gonzales, who attended the event, said Juneteenth serves as an opportunity to reflect on both the nation’s history and the work that remains ahead.
Bakersfield held its annual Juneteenth weekend festival, a celebration that commemorates the emancipation of African Americans. PHOTO: KBAK/KBFX
“Juneteenth is just a reflection, a reminder, that the work of justice continues and endures,” Gonzales said. “And the idea of creating a more perfect union, a country with liberty and justice for all people, is never ending.”
Gonzales said Neal’s achievement is also an example of the opportunities that can inspire future generations.
“I think that the fact that we’re celebrating an accomplished, smart, successful Black woman who is an attorney in our community, who has opened her own law office, is very powerful,” Gonzales said.
As Juneteenth celebrations continue across Kern County this weekend, Neal said she hopes her story encourages others — especially young people — to pursue their goals regardless of where they begin.
“I want you to know, when you’re looking at attorney Candace, it’s not about where you start, it’s about working hard,” Neal said. “You have something already inside of you to bring back and give and to serve the world.”