Description
Join us for FREEDOM SONGS featuring Kenyatta Emmanuel & Shanelle Gabriel, an afternoon of song and spoken word reflections celebrating freedom and commemorating the ending of American slavery. This seated, outdoor event will take place on the Museum's front terrace.
Juneteenth is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States. Dating back to 1865, it was on June 19th that the Union soldiers, led by Major General Gordon Granger, landed at Galveston, Texas with news that the war had ended and that the enslaved were now free.
This year will be the first year that NYC will be recognizing Juneteenth as a state holiday. On June 17, 2020, Governor Cuomo declared Juneteenth a holiday for state employees. Two days later, Mayor Bill de Blasio made Juneteenth a city and school holiday for 2021, noting that it should become a moment for "truth telling, a day for examination and shining a light. It's a holiday in fact that millions and millions of Americans don't know exists. But now as it comes to the fore, it's perfect for change, for transformation."
https://www.mcny.org/MCNYjuneteenth
Who
Everyone
