Mosaic Templars and Dreamland Ballroom to Host Juneteenth Event on Little Rock’s 9th Street
(PRWEB) June 14, 2017 -- The public is invited to join the Dreamland Ballroom and the Mosaic Templars Cultural Center (MTCC) for their annual Juneteenth celebration on June 17.
Juneteenth is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the end of slavery in the United States. From its Galveston, Texas, origin in 1865, the observance of Juneteenth as a celebration of African American emancipation has spread across the United States and beyond. Today, Juneteenth commemorates African American freedom and emphasizes education and achievement.
To celebrate the holiday, MTCC will host a free festival on Saturday, June 17, from noon to 6 p.m., which will include family-friendly entertainment as well as learning opportunities.
At 1 p.m., attendees are encouraged to stroll down to Arkansas’ FlagandBanner.com at 800 West 9th Street where they can tour the historic Taborian Hall and the Dreamland Ballroom. After the tour at 2 p.m. in the Mosaic Templars building there will be a screening of AETN’s “Dream Land” documentary, which seeks to recognize, memorialize and share the history of Little Rock’s West Ninth Street. The film will be shown at MTCC’s third-floor ballroom.
The event will also include live music throughout the day on the New Beginnings Behavioral Health Services stage. Highlights of this year’s event will include: V.I.C., performing the viral hit “Wobble,” iheartmemphis, notable for dance single “Hit the Quan,” gospel singer/songwriter Anthony Evans, Latice Crawford, Tasha McIntosh, Artists United, Big John Miller Band, Big Piph & Tomorrow Maybe, Genine Perez, Mabelvale Middle School Drumline, Gloryland Pastor’s Choir.
The top three contestants from the Juneteenth Talent Search will perform and compete to win studio time and a track from Joker Entertainment.
Youth will enjoy laser tag, a video game trailer, a climbing rock wall, inflatables and more in the Kids Zone.
At 4 p.m., there will be a screening of “Black America Since MLK: And Still I Rise,” a two-part, four-hour documentary series hosted, executive produced and written by Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates Jr.
Vendors and nonprofit organization booths and food trucks will also be on hand throughout the day.
Everyone is invited to this free celebration to learn more about the history of Arkansas through the African American lens while exploring MTCC’s exhibits, including the new display, “Not Forgotten: An Arkansas Family Album,” featuring the photography of National Geographic photographer Nina Robinson.
Tammie McClure, FlagandBanner.com, http://www.flagandbanner.com, +1 501 375-7633 Ext: 117, [email protected]
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