Saturday, June 19, Juneteenth, commemorates African American freedom. It is an official state holiday that is celebrated all across the country.
Juneteenth is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States. After what the black community has endured in just the last year, they feel the importance of celebrating together now more than ever.
In Baltimore, the Pennsylvania Avenue Black Arts And Entertainment District (Black Arts District) is supporting three Juneteenth events through collaboration with community partners and organizations.
Juneteenth day events will be:
- Arena Players Inc. “A Juneteenth Celebration”
- DoveCote Cafe “The Nest”
- Joy Cometh “Black Sanctuary Experience”
Instead of curating their own independent event, the Black Arts District wanted to lend their institutional support to other organizations. They focused on amplifying the work of those interested in Juneteenth or those who already had an established Juneteenth event.
Lady Brion Gill, founder and executive director of the Black Arts District, said Juneteenth is about celebrating a history that is often swept under the rug, trivialized, and ignored.
The Black Arts District is the only arts and entertainment district in Maryland that is dedicated to the support, celebration, and empowerment of Black creatives. The three events they are supporting have been curated by prominent black institutions in Baltimore City.
Arena Players was founded in Baltimore and is the oldest continuously operating African-American community theater in the U.S. They will be holding a movie screening as well as highlighting local creatives and artists.
DoveCote Cafe is holding its fifth annual Juneteenth celebration. It will be an all day festival that will include altar building, performances, food, horseback riding and more.
Joy Cometh is an art exhibit honoring the radical history of black joy as resistance in America. The show is put on by Black Owned Baltimore, an organization that connects Black entrepreneurs with their consumers.
The three events all take place on Saturday, June 19 and will give people the opportunity to celebrate Juneteenth all day long with events that encompass arts and culture, education, spirituality, and history.
“Juneteenth is one of those holidays that creates a space to really talk about, uplift, and celebrate black contributions and our history albeit gruesome at times and troubling at times,” said Lady Brion.
Kenneth Morrison, program manager for the Black Arts District, said it is really important to him that they take time to recognize that Juneteenth is not just about celebrating the fact that black people were free but what they were free from, what they survived, and what they overcame.
“Juneteenth is a remembrance of our resilience and our ability to move on,” said Morrison.
All the events will have health and wellness volunteers to keep people's hands sanitized, make sure people are socially distanced, and stay hydrated.
On January 1, 1980, Juneteenth became an official state holiday and on June 17, 2021 became the United States’s 12th federal holiday.