Juneteenth 2023: Threading the Fabric of Freedom
Don't miss the 2023 Juneteenth Celebration happening this weekend in Downtown State College! Community members are invited to an Art Exhibition that opens on Friday, June 16 and Juneteenth Block Party in downtown State College on Saturday June 17, 2023. Hosted by State College Chapter of the NAACP, in partnership with the Center for the Performing Arts at Penn State, The Happy Valley Adventure Bureau, the Downtown State College Improvement District, and the State College Borough. The Block Party begins at NOON and will showcase live performances by a wide range of musicians, poets, dancers and more. There will be food trucks, an array of Black vendors, and fun activities throughout the day for kids and adults.
Performers include: Urban Fusion blends jazz, funk, soul, blues and Latin in their arrangements of both original compositions and interpretations of classics by Grover Washington, Jr., Herbie Hancock, BB King, Santana and other great artists. They have opened for Joe Ford, Phil Perry, Spyro Gyra, and performed throughout Pennsylvania at clubs, festivals, colleges, and prisons. Aneaus Smith is a hip-hop dancer who recently performed at DelGrosso's “Dance All Day" event and in studio competitions in Lancaster and Pittsburgh. He also performed for the student-led “Lift Every Voice” event at State College Area High School. There will be three food trucks: Happy Dishes, Carter's Table and Backwoods.
“We are so grateful to continue collaborating in solidarity with the State College NAACP, the State College Borough, and all the partners involved in this community-wide event to celebrate Black liberation, entrepreneurship, and creativity in central Pennsylvania”, Sita Frederick, Director of the Center for the Performing Arts at Penn State.
"This celebration is important to the community and the values its members hold, and the State College Borough recognizes that"
- Chiluvya Zulu, Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging for the State College Borough
Leslie Laing, State College NAACP Educational Chair says, “this is our 4th Juneteenth commemoration, and we are proud to feature two extraordinary headliners this year, Mckie & Res from Philadelphia and Warren Wolf from Baltimore. In addition to showcasing Black excellence, successful entrepreneurs, and in connection with our Juneteenth theme, Threading the Fabric of Freedom, community members will have the opportunity to create a vibrant Story Quilt.
Historically, individuals worked in secret, armed with needle and thread, to create a visual language mapping the way to freedom. Shapes, symbols, textures and colors were often weaved together to celebrate family events such as marriage, a birth, keeping record of those we loved as they were sent to other places. Quilts like memories, and traditions are passed down from one generation to the next.”
“This celebration is important to the community and the values its members hold, and the State College Borough recognizes that. Supporting the annual Juneteenth commemoration is one of the ways the Borough contributes toward building a diverse, inclusive and welcoming community and creates a sense of belonging,” said Chiluvya Zulu, Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging for the State College Borough.
Residents, community members and guests are encouraged to attend this celebration that marks the all-important Emancipation Day in American history, 1865, when the last enslaved Africans were notified of their freedom.
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