North Austin News

The George Washington Carver Museum, Cultural and Genealogy Center, will host the fourth annual Stay Black and Live (SB&L) Juneteenth Festival from June 12 through 19. This year’s theme is Austin Family Reunion and will center local collaborations and partnerships with organizations and individuals making an impact. In response to the ongoing global health crisis and heightened awareness of the endemic violence experienced by BIPOC communities, SB&L was launched in 2020. What started as a live stream has now become a fixture of Austin’s citywide Juneteenth celebrations.

 

“We are incredibly proud to continue Austin’s Juneteenth celebration and tradition at our historic museum,” said Carre Adams, Museum Director at the Carver Museum, “With a robust week of programming, we aim to honor the significance of Juneteenth as we foster a deeper understanding of our shared history. We invite the Austin community to join us as we commemorate this momentous occasion and bring Black history past, present and future to the forefront.”

 

From community kickbacks, dance parties, cookouts, and live music to dynamic conversations with thought leaders, educators and public scholars, this year’s festival will be truly memorable.

 

Kicking off the week on Monday, June 12, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. is a conversation with Grammy-Award-winning Desoto, Texas, high school music teacher Pamela Dawson. Using negro spirituals, Dawson will deliver an interactive lecture and sing-along that will educate attendees on African-American contributions to the sonic art form.

 

On Thursday, June 15, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., culinary food historian James Beard, Book Award recipient and author of The Cooking Gene: A Journey Through African-American History in the Old South, Michael T. Twitty, will present a lecture on African-American foodways and contemporary abolitionist movements.

 

On Friday, June 16, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., a multi-generational community kickback and dance party featuring a sensory station powered by Creative Action will give away glow sticks, kites, bubble guns and sparklers to attendees under a neon tent. High-energy sets by DJ Cysum and DJ Dontizl will keep the vibes high before closing out with a special edition of BodyRockATX.

 

On Saturday, June 17, from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m., a community cookout and music festival will take place in the historic Rosewood Neighborhood behind the Carver Museum. Starting at 3 p.m., Lady Joy will host mid-day festivities while KAZI DJs set the vibe and attendees eat smoked BBQ prepared by veteran pitmasters. Festival attendees can also check out the vendor market, carnival games, educational workshops, film screenings and self-guided tours. A performance by Austin Samba will kick of the concert at 5:30 p.m. 

 

On Saturday, June 17 at 6 p.m., host Saul Paul will kick off the music festival with opening performances by Sonya Jevette, Stretch Musik, and DJ Kay Kali. At 8 p.m., the funky, rocking, dancing, soulful mega band GAPX brought to life by original global touring members of the legendary group "The Gap Band" will serenade Juneteenth festival goers for 90-minutes with chart-topping hits like Outstanding, and You Dropped a Bomb on Me. 

 

On Monday, June 19, from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., historian, legal scholar, New York Times Bestseller, and Pulitzer Prize-Winning Author Dr. Annette Gordon-Reed will speak about her book, On Juneteenth.

 

In partnership with Austin Justice Coalition, a Community Revival and Remembrance will take place to honor victims of police violence in Texas. Indigenous earth-based practitioners, faith leaders, healers and bodyworkers will gather to help elevate the spirit of our fallen sisters, brothers, and non-binary community members. Join us in song, prayer, and meditation as we honor our Black ancestors and gather our strength to continue doing the work to liberate our communities from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Monday, June 19.

 

For more information and for a full list of programming visit juneteenthatx.com. 

 

ABOUT THE CARVER MUSEUM

The George Washington Carver Museum, Cultural and Genealogy Center is a historic landmark dedicated to preserving Black history, culture, and aesthetic expression. Located in East Austin, the Museum served as Austin’s first branch library and the first library that the African-American community could access. In 1980, the library became the first African-American neighborhood museum in Texas. Today, the 39,000-square-foot facility includes galleries, meeting spaces, a darkroom, a dance studio, a 134-seat theatre, an archive, a community garden, a genealogy center. 

Follow the Carver Museum on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and Twitter: @CarverMuseumATX and @AustinCityParks.

Original source can be found here.