Indiana lawmaker attends inaugural White House Juneteenth concert

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — A state lawmaker said the White House’s Juneteenth concert is an opportunity to educate and to reflect on what still needs to be done.

Rep. Cherrish Pryor, D-Indianapolis, was invited to the Juneteenth concert on the South Lawn as the treasurer of the National Black Caucus of State Legislators. Held on June 13, the concert featured performances by HBCU bands, a stepper group, gospel choirs, and nationally-known performers such as Jennifer Hudson. Juneteenth coincides with Black Music Month. Pryor said it felt wonderful to see Juneteenth finally get the national recognition it deserves.

“The fact that I can say that, years down the road, that I actually attended the first Juneteenth event at the White House is something that is always going to be with me,” she said in an interview with All INdiana Politics.

Pryor said Americans should use Juneteenth as an opportunity to learn about and reflect on the enduring legacy of slavery and racism in the United States. She said Americans should also use it to learn about cultures and beliefs that might be very different from their own.

“Some people are not comfortable with difference. Some people are not comfortable with changes,” she said, “I think we are stronger when we embrace the differences of other people, and we acknowledge that people are not going to think the same way we think.”

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