First-Ever Juneteenth Event To Hit Laguna Beach

Laguna Beach CA

05 June, 2022

10:02 AM

Description

LAGUNA BEACH, CA — In observance of Juneteenth being listed as a federal holiday, The Laguna Beach Cultural Arts Center will host the city's first-ever Juneteenth Freedom Day commemoration on June 19. Juneteenth, a portmanteau of the words "June" and "nineteenth," stands as the oldest celebration of Black emancipation in the United States. Juneteenth was declared a federal holiday last year, and this year marks Laguna Beach's first celebration of the event. In honor of Juneteenth, the Laguna Beach Cultural Arts Center will screen the ecclaimed 2021 documentary film, "Summer of Soul," directed by Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson. At 6 p.m., blues, funk and soul singer O'Malley Jones and his band Stepping Into Now will take the stage and perform. Texas-style barbecue, sides and red velvet cake will be sold at the event. Eight artworks by Allyson Allen addressing themes of slavery and emancipation will be on display at the center. Allen is a well-known California quilt artist, and an advisor for the event, who became widely known to Laguna Beach residents when her quilt exhibition, "Piece-ful Protest" was the subject of controversy. "The new attention Juneteenth is receiving outside of Black communities is long overdue," Rick Conkey, founder and director of the Laguna Beach Cultural Arts Center, said in a statement. "The Cultural Arts Center is proud to hold this event to bring greater understanding to this holiday. We want to counter the idea that much like Kwanzaa, it's 'a Black thing.' It's a day for people of every race to engage in learning more about American history." Conkey said the holiday is designed to encourage conversation about the trauma that has resulted from American slavery. "It forever changed the political and social landscape of the country, and the significance of abolition can't be overstated," Conkey said. "We must come to terms with how slavery continues to affect the lives of every American"