Celebrating The Power and Beauty
of the Global Black Experience through the Arts.
of the Global Black Experience through the Arts.
WHAT IS JUNETEENTH?
Juneteenth (June 19th) is a holiday that commemorates the day that enslaved Africans were informed that they were free. The celebration is also recognized as Emancipation Day, Jubilee Day and Black Independence Day. June 19th, 1865 is the date when the news reached the confederate state of Galveston, Texas. Although the plantation owners were supposed to release enslaved Africans in 1863 as part of the Emancipation Proclamation signed by Abraham Lincoln, the news moved slowly and with resistance in the confederate south for the next two years. Somewhere between the fires of freedom and the forays into the unknown beyond the plantation, the name Juneteenth took hold, and like the letter X that marked the unknown original name of an African ancestor, the unique spelling of Juneteenth is symbolic of the various dates when enslaved African-Americans learned of their destiny, June 19th is the official
date of the celebration.
Though the first documented celebration of Juneteenth took place in 1866, and spread to many parts of the South, it was slow to take hold in many northern cities that were the destinations for Blacks in The Great Migration. After decades of education, and the raising of consciousness courtesy of the Civil Rights and Black Power movements, everyone knows about it everywhere. Now celebrated in 48 states and Washington, D.C. as a state and ceremonial holiday.
Juneteenth Resources
Non-Fiction
Juneteenth: The Story Behind the Celebration, Edward T. Cotham, Jr., State House
On Juneteenth, by Annette Gordon-Reed, Liverlight
Fiction
Juneteenth, A Novel, by Ralph Ellison, Vintage
Organizations
National Juneteenth Observance Foundation
date of the celebration.
Though the first documented celebration of Juneteenth took place in 1866, and spread to many parts of the South, it was slow to take hold in many northern cities that were the destinations for Blacks in The Great Migration. After decades of education, and the raising of consciousness courtesy of the Civil Rights and Black Power movements, everyone knows about it everywhere. Now celebrated in 48 states and Washington, D.C. as a state and ceremonial holiday.
Juneteenth Resources
Non-Fiction
Juneteenth: The Story Behind the Celebration, Edward T. Cotham, Jr., State House
On Juneteenth, by Annette Gordon-Reed, Liverlight
Fiction
Juneteenth, A Novel, by Ralph Ellison, Vintage
Organizations
National Juneteenth Observance Foundation
JUNE IS BLACK MUSIC MONTH
It was first celebrated on June 7, 1979, under President Carter. Its origins go back to the legendary Kenny Gamble of Philly International Records, who took a trip to Nashville and was inspired by the Country Music Association (CMA) to create the Black Music Association (BMA). Gamble, and BMA members Dyana Williams - a pioneering radio DJ for Philadelphia’s WDAS-FM, and Cleveland disk jockey Ed Wright co- collaborated to create Black Music Month, with the original theme of economic empowerment. Black Music Month has expanded its mission statement to celebrate all of the vivid variations of music created by African-Americans, from the spirituals ragtime and the blues to jazz, R&B, and hip-hop. Because Black music is America’s music, which is, by default, the pop music of the planet.
Grand Reopening Free Streaming Concert
Afro-Cuban Jazz with Dayramir Gonzalez
Sunday, June 6, 2021
Thank you for your continued support.
Stay safe.
Previous Programs
Experience Black History Month with the family. Explore ancient artifacts to contemporary art, take an interactive dance or drum workshop, create arts and enjoy concerts in the restored and updated Harrison Auditorium. Shop the Afrosphere Boutique Marketplace!
