Juneteenth
Juneteenth, on June 19, is the nation’s oldest widely celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States. This year it is also the 100-year observation of the Tulsa Race Massacre. Here are some things you and your Little (and anyone else) can do.
With respect to Juneteenth and the Tulsa Race Massacre, Pink Dog Creative is putting on Juneteenth/GRINDfest, a weekend of celebrating Black business and entrepreneurship June 18-20, at and in front of GRIND Coffeehouse, 346 Depot St., Asheville. Live poetry, theater, storytelling, and game tournaments will be augmented by Black food and an outside dance party.
Asheville resident Thomas Boyd is organizing a Juneteenth celebration in Martin Luther King Jr. Park on June 19 (details weren’t found online as of June 7), according to this story by WLOS-TV.
The organization Equity Over Everything, the MLK Association of Asheville and Lenoir Rhyne University are hosting a Juneteenth presentation that involves both celebrating African-American achievements, as well as reflecting on a more equitable future, according to this story at bpr.org.
Juneteenth is also the theme of LEAF Global Arts’ Spoken-Word Literary Poetry Salon #6, featuring poets Starr Davis, Anna Aimontas-Salisbury, C.R. Glasgow, and Arriel Vinson. The 7 p.m. June 24 event will be live at facebook.com/theLEAF.org/.
AVL Today, a daily online compendium of news and events in Asheville, has this story, “How to celebrate Juneteenth in Asheville.” The story, by Aisha Adams (founder of Aisha Adams Media Group, Equity Over Everything’s Entrepreneurial Accelerator, and The Lenoir-Rhyne Equity & Diversity Institute) has links to bridge-building organizations such as Just Folks, The YMI Cultural Center and Building Bridges, as well as black influencers and black-owned businesses.
The Martin Luther King, Jr. Association of Asheville and Buncombe County will celebrate Juneteenth with online events throughout the week of June 14 on its YouTube channel, according to the East End/Valley Street Neighborhood Association’s Facebook page. In one of the videos, Ahamad Ward will discuss the Historic Mitchelville Freedom Park, whose mission is to preserve, promote, and honor Historic Mitchelville, the first self-governed town of formerly enslaved people in the U.S.
In Asheville, Benne on Eagle and The Block Off Biltmore will be co-hosting a celebration from 5-8 p.m. on Friday, June 19, according to this story at Asheville.com. There will be food, music, open mics, and more. There will also be a Juneteenth Festival: Celebrating Freedom event on June 20 in the Hillcrest neighborhood from 12-8 p.m.
