The 5th Annual Juneteenth Celebration At Carnegie Hall, To Be Hosted By Soledad O'Brien

Rev. Dr. James A. Forbes, Jr., Senior Minister Emeritus, Riverside Church & President & Founder, Healing of the Nations Foundation, in association with New York's historic Carnegie Hall, present the 5th Annual Juneteenth celebration commemorating the "COMPLETE" end of slavery in America for people of color on Wednesday, June 19 at 7:00 PM. This year marks the 154th year of African American freedom (1865) and the abolishment of the stain of human bondage in America. It also represents the dawn of a new freedom for all Americans in the United States of America. This momentous occasion will also observe the 400th anniversary of the first African arriving in the United States in 1619. The program is taking place for the first time at the historic Carnegie Hall, a co-host of the event.

Each year, the event honors individuals who have a commitment to civil rights and have been champions of justice for the oppressed and disenfranchised. Honorees this year are: Bishop Michael B. Curry, the first African American to serve as presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church and who delivered the homily at the Royal wedding of Prince Harry Windsor and actress Meghan Markle; filmmaker, musician and activist Bree Newsome Bass, who climbed the flagpole of the South Carolina State Capitol building and lowered the Confederate Flag and Carmen Perez, National Co-Chair of The Women's March, and Executive Director of Gathering for Justice - a nonprofit founded by legendary artist and activist Harry Belafonte, who has dedicated 20 years to advocating for many of today's important civil rights issues.

Emmy award winning public affairs journalist Bill Moyers will deliver the Statement of the Occasion, and two-time Emmy Award winner, and host of the nationally syndicated weekly talk show "Matter of Fact" Soledad O'Brien will be the mistress of ceremony for the evening.

The program will be enhanced/ highlighted with stellar performance by jazz pianist, composer, producer and Grammy-award winner Cyrus Chestnut, awarding-winning jazz trombonist Wycliffe Gordon, Broadway and Gospel music composer and music director, Joseph Joubert, The Ebony Ecumenical Ensemble under the leadership of Rev. Eugene Palmore and Pamela Eatman, The Harlem Chamber Players, Fresh 2 Life Drummers and the Juneteenth Mass Choir, conducted by Mark Miller.

"The Healing of the Nations Foundation invites our fellow citizens to recognize Juneteenth as the All-American Freedom Day and declare with us that none of us is truly free until all of us are fully free," said Dr Forbes. "As the very integrity of our democracy is in jeopardy, we come together to highlight the values we honor. Through this celebration, it is our desire to inspire and empower communities to further their commitment to freedom and justice for all.

Tickets for the event are complementary and available to the public, groups and organizations. Register to reserve tickets at https://juneteenth-ny.com/

Upon registration, guests will receive a confirmation which needs to be redeemed for actual event tickets before June 18, 2019 at 6 PM at the Carnegie Hall Box Office (57th Street and Seventh Avenue), open Monday through Saturday 11 AM-6 PM, and Sunday 12 PM-6 PM.

The program details are as follows:
Wednesday, June 19, 2019 ("Juneteenth Official Day")

Stern Auditorium / Perelman Stage at Carnegie Hall
57th Street and Seventh Avenue
New York, New York 10019
For ticket information: 212-247-7800

Time 7PM - 9PM
For more information visit us at: https://juneteenth-ny.com/
Facebook: @JuneteenthNY
Twitter: @JuneteenthNY
Instagram: @Juneteenth-ny

The Healing of the Nations Foundation Mission:
Healing of The Nations Foundation is a national non-profit faith-based corporation that creates transformative dialogues and events to heal the wounds of racial, religious and economic injustice festering in our nation.

Dr. James A. Forbes, Jr., is Senior Minister Emeritus of the Riverside Church, the international, interracial, and interdenominational historic religious institution where he served for eighteen years as senior minister. He is currently the President and Founder of Healing of the Nations Foundation and holds over 14 Honorary doctorates. He was also acknowledged in 1996 by Newsweek as one of the 12 most effective preachers in the English-speaking world.