Segerstrom Center Announces Juneteenth Celebration

Segerstrom Center for the Arts in partnership with the Institute of Black Intellectual Innovation at California State University, Fullerton is holding its first Juneteenth Celebration - Freedom in Full Bloom - on the Julianne and George Argyros Plaza, Saturday, June 19 from 3-7 pm. The afternoon will include interactive activities and artistic performances that celebrate Black innovation and resilience, including a poetry reading hosted by bridgette bianca; a creative gardening workshop with KayJo Creatives; as well as music and food vendors.

Juneteenth has become a day to commemorate the freedom of African Americans from slavery. On June 19,1865, Major General Gordon Granger arrived in Texas to inform enslaved people about President Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation, which had been issued on January 1, 1863. The news didn't reach Texas until two years later, and this discrepancy has been part of the ongoing conversation about what it means to be free in the United States. Juneteenth is an important opportunity to gain a better understanding of the impact of racial slavery in the United States.

The activities on the Argyros Plaza are being curated by Dr. Natalie Graham, Director of the Institute of Black Intellectual Innovation at CSUF, along with historical consultation by Dr. Jamila Moore Pewu, Assistant Professor of Digital Humanities and New Media in History at CSUF. Dr Moore Pewu will share additional educational resources for community members through the Center's social media channels.

Tickets to Freedom in Full Bloom: Juneteenth Celebration are $10 per pod, with each pod accommodating up to six people.

Online - SCFTA.org

Phone - (714) 556-2787 from 10 am - 2 pm daily