Juneteenth

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Friday

10 a.m.

Custis Square, Colonial Williamsburg

Celebrate Juneteenth alongside an ongoing multi-year archaeological investigation at the site of John Custis IV’s city home and gardens, known as Custis Square, promising new findings of the life of the politician, planter and first father-in-law to Martha Washington, the enslaved people living on the site and early 18th-century horticulture.

All-day programming includes a discussion of the challenges of researching free and enslaved African Americans and how interpretation brings their stories to life complete with artifacts; narratives of tenacity, spirituality and hope; and a 2 p.m. Facebook Live discussion to celebrate and commemorate the end of slavery in the United States. Participate by going to bit.ly/JuneteenthWilliamsburg.

For more information on the day’s activities, visit bit.ly/CustisSquare.

10:30 a.m.

1425 Norchester Ave.

The Norfolk Public Library is hosting a family-friendly African American cultural celebration in celebration of Juneteenth in the children’s library. bit.ly/norlib19.

Noon

History of Juneteenth Documentary Virtual Watch Party hosted by YWCA South Hampton Roads

Online

Via Zoom, the YWCA will screen the Juneteenth documentary, which traces the history of the holiday and events from the late 19th century freedmen colonies’ and settlements’ celebrations. After the documentary, YWCA counselor Ericka Smith will host an open discussion. For meeting information, visit the YWCA’s Facebook, at bit.ly/hrywca19.

Self Preservation,” an online conversation on the state of black historic preservation in Virginia by the Virginia African American Cultural Resources Task Force

Online

VAACR Task Force founding chair and Virginia Del. Delores McQuinn (D-Richmond) will be joined by Dr. Colita Nichols Fairfax, chair of the Virginia Board of Historic Resources, Norfolk State University professor and president of the Barrett-Peake Heritage Foundation in Hampton; and Niya Bates, historic preservationist and board member of the Jefferson School African American Heritage Center in Charlottesville. The event is free, but participants must register online at VirginiaHumanities.org/self-preservation.

3 p.m.

#Juneteenth celebration 3-7pm hosted by Black Lives Matter 757, Oozlefinch Beers & Blending on Historic Ft Monroe – Family friendly – FREE event – Bring your drums,trumpets, signs and positive vibes. This is an outdoors event, so feel free to bring lawn chairs. On the sacred lands where it all started in 1619.

4 p.m.

35th Street Juneteenth Celebration, hosted by Freshtopia, Studio Gallery Norfolk, Fresh Radio, Gallery 410 and Purely Sunnah

35th Street, Norfolk

This two-day festival (from 4 p.m. Friday to 11 p.m. Saturday) will feature cultural celebrations, food and music from DJ Bee of Fresh Radio Freshtopia, a clothing and vinyl record shop owned by the DJ and Philly native at 532 W. 35th St. Food on site will include offerings from Cuttas Kitchen, Croaker’s Spot and the all-vegan cooking of Jikoni Cafe. bit.ly/35thst19.

Juneteenth: A Freedom Day Celebration by The Contemporary Arts Network

9601 Warwick Boulevard, Newport News

From 4 to 8 p.m., the Contemporary Arts Network’s event will include outdoor music, DJ sets, spoken word performances, mural tours and vendors. Guests can tour the new CAN headquarters and shop with black-owned independent clothing brands at the “Buy Black” pop-up at Daily Bread Boutique. You can also participate in Catharsis, an “interactive art exhibition at Eleanor and Hopps, where you may paint a word, phrase, or image on the walls of our gallery as an expressive release of how you’re feeling” or doodle your sentiments at Doodlefest. At 7 p.m., guests can join a meditation walk to Huntington Beach where they can take in a performance art piece. For more information, visit thecontemporaryartsnetwork.com.

5 p.m.

Online

Via Zoom conference, the Socrates Cafe will meet to discuss achieving equal rights for all American citizens in honor of Juneteenth. The conversation will be moderated by Newport News author and Socrates Cafe founder Christopher Phillips. For more information, visit socratescafe.com and click the news/blog tab at the top-right of the page. Participate in the conversation on Zoom.

6 p.m.

Juneteenth Celebration hosted by the Suffolk Public Library

Online

Local poet and historian Nathan Richardson will speak about Juneteenth and commemorate slavery’s end. To watch, visit the library’s YouTube page by searching for “Suffolk Public Library” or the Facebook event page. After the video, viewers are encouraged to share their own stories, poetry, photos and videos in the video’s comments.

Saturday

Noon

Feeding 5000: Juneteenth Celebration, hosted by Andrew Shannon Gospel Music Celebration

The Alley, 100 Newmarket Square, Newport News

Come out for a meal and some live music to celebrate Juneteenth, but wear a mask and be ready to observe social distancing. Food will be provided by Roger and Peggy Winston, owners of Queensway Soul Cafe, and will include fried fish, wingettes and fries boxed up to-go, served curbside by Newport News City Council members Dave Jenkins and Marcellus Harris III, and Newport News police chief Steve Drew. Don’t drag your feet, though. Once the food runs out, you’ll be left hungry. For more information, visit The Alley’s Instagram at @thealleynewport.

Juneteenth Freedom Festival hosted by OneChurch

Brooks Crossing, 31st Street and Jefferson Avenue, Newport News

OneChurch will host a Juneteenth celebration for the whole family, including food, free entertainment, local vendors and more. Find more information about the festival at weareonechurch.com.

1 p.m.

Online

To celebrate Juneteenth, HBCU Storytellers is hosting this documentary screening which explores the racial trauma and terror associated with these monuments while highlighting the work of University of Virginia student Zyahna Bryant. The film highlights the various issues related to the removal of Charlottesville’s Robert E. Lee statue that sparked the violent, white nationalist Unite the Right rally in August 2017.

The film is part three of the four-part series “400 Years Later… Free-ish,” which examined race relations in America as the country approached the 400-year commemoration of the first Africans to arrive in Virginia in 1619.

Viewers must register for the event at bit.ly/juneteenthrsvp.

Amy Poulter, 757-446-2705, amy.poulter@pilotonline.com

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