You can celebrate Juneteenth at the Center for Black Literature & Culture’s 5th Annual Indy Book Fest and Juneteenth Celebration, taking place June 18, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., at Central Library!
This event will include activities for all ages to discuss Juneteenth, enjoy a live DJ, sign up for the Summer Reading Program, meet local Black authors and participate in a 360 photo booth hosted by DJ N4RED.
Keshia McEntire, public relations specialist at IndyPL, and Amira Malcom, interim manager of the Center for Black Literature and Culture at IndyPL, joined us Friday on “Life. Style. Live!” to share what to expect at this event, how it’s giving local Black authors a platform, how McEntire is participating as an author and more.
The Library is honored to partner with the YMCA’s Monster Meeting series to welcome Professor Annette Gordon-Reed to Central, author of the Pulitzer Prize winning books, “The Hemingses of Monticello: an American Family” and “On Juneteenth,” for a pre-recorded guided conversation and breakout discussions.
“It’s really exciting to be having the fifth year of Book Fest for the CBLC in person, especially coming out of the trying times that the pandemic has placed on our events,” said Amira Malcom, interim manager of the Center for Black Literature & Culture. “We’re looking forward to having everyone learn more about the history of Juneteenth and the impact the holiday has on today’s culture with our conversation with Professor Annette Gordon-Reed, and providing an opportunity for patrons to learn more by exploring the CBLC and signing up for library cards. The community is really hungry to have a place to learn and discuss these important topics, and as the interim manager of the space, I’m grateful to be a part in providing that in our city.”
Juneteenth, officially recognized as a federal holiday in 2021, has long been celebrated to commemorate the day federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas in 1865, two years after President Lincoln signed the emancipation proclamation, to take control of the state and ensure that more than 250,000 enslaved people were freed by executive decree.
The Indy Book Fest & Juneteenth Celebration is sponsored by the Library’s African American History Committee in support of the Center for Black Literature & Culture at Central Library. The CBLC is made possible by Lilly Endowment Inc.
For more information, click here.
June 19th is “Juneteenth,” a federal holiday in the United States.
It commemorates the 1865 emancipation of enslaved African Americans.
It’s also observed as a celebration of African American culture.
Reverend Markel Hutchins joined us Thursday on “All Indiana” share some insight on the true meaning of this holiday.
Come see, taste, celebrate and experience for yourself how black cuisine adds flavor to America’s favorite foods!
The Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site in Indianapolis, the home of Indiana’s only U.S. president, is hosting the inaugural Juneteenth Foodways Festival on Friday, June 17 from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site in downtown Indianapolis.
Octavius Pearson, owner executive chef of Big Taste, and Whitney Ball, special events & marketing manager for Benjamin Harrison Presidential, joined us Wednesday on “Life. Style. Live!” to share what people can expect from this event.
The festival will include more than 20 restaurants, caterers and vendors with a special focus on engaging Black owned businesses for this first annual event celebrating the intersection of the American presidency, the history of Black entrepreneurship and some of our country’s favorite cuisine.
Participating restaurants and caterers will offer distinctive menu items that speak to the cultural heritage and contributions of Black foodways on American culture.
For more information, click here.
Today’s Trivia Tuesday theme is Juneteenth!
The trivia questions the hosts answered are listed below. Watch along and see if you guess correctly.
Questions:
Juneteenth celebrates the freedom of African Americans from slavery. When was the first Juneteenth celebration?
49 states now recognize Juneteenth as a holiday. Which one does not?
What year did Juneteenth become a federal holiday?
A Juneteenth Kickoff Celebration is coming to Thrival Academy, a purpose driven school focused on building tomorrow’s leaders.
Courtney Senousy-McClung, director of business operations and development, and Brandon Arnold, director of school operations, joined us Wednesday on “Life. Style. Live!” to share what sets their school apart from others and how the students have come together to host a big community event in honor of Juneteenth.
Their student council is hosting a Juneteenth Kickoff Celebration on Friday, June 17 from 2:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at 4825 N. Arlington Ave, Indianapolis, IN 46226.
The event will include carnival games, prizes, raffles, wellness activities, food, music and entertainment. There will also be a donation project where we will directly give back to the community.
Several community organizations will also be there to provide education resources, hygiene packages, free haircuts and live entertainment.
For more information, click here.