2023
Celebrate Juneteenth
Sunday, June 18th!
11am - 5pm
Getting to the Festival:
Taking Metro?: The Festival is located within 100 ft of the Brookland Metro Station's, John F Mccormack Rd NE & Michigan Ave NE exit/entrance. It brings you right onto the Brookland Arts Walk. The Sunday train schedules on the Metro are distinctly different than the weekday schedules, so plan your trip accordingly.
-There is neighborhood parking, and it's free on Sundays.
-There is a parking lot on the corner of 7th Street and Monroe Street, NE. This is paid parking.
THE TEAM
Soyini George, FOUNDER
Makeda Smith, FESTIVAL DIRECTOR
This Festival is supported by the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities
Logo re-design by Big Girl Press
Children must be supervised by an adult.
BLACK-OWNED MARKETPLACE:
All Very Goods, by Ama Schulman
Asci Creations, by Saran Cisse
Bailiwick Clothing Company, by JC Smith
Black Squirrel Company, by RENATA Philippe
D'BohoMama, LLC, by Denise Williams
Down2EarthPottery, LLC by Yolanda Spears
Elle Blings LLC, by Frankie Abellano
Honey Glow, by Samitra Harrington
La Magnoliah, by Coumba Graves
Lola Earnestine, by Courtney Arnold
Mane Rhodes Soap and Wellness, by Rylinda Rhodes
Truly Bonded, by Takeya Brown
SCHEDULE AT THE PERFORMANCE STAGE:
11:00 am - 11:30 am: Welcome to Celebrate Juneteenth! Festival Opening by the Coyaba Dance Theater and Moko Jumbie.
About Coyaba Dance Theater: Coyaba Dance Theater was founded in 1997 by Founder/Artistic Director Sylvia Soumah. Coyaba mesmerizes audiences with its electrifying portrayals of African Dance, music and culture.
About the Moko Jumbie: The lore of the Moko Jumbie (stiltwalker) is that he is a West African God of retribution. His height helps him to see any evil that may come before men can see it. Moko Jumbies also walked across the ocean with slave ships as a protectors. Moko Jumbies exist in Caribbean culture.
11:30 pm - 4:00 pm : The Sounds and Vibes of DJ M$NP
About DJ M$NP: M$NP is a DJ, creative, and entrepreneur, based out of Washington D.C. She spent her childhood exploring different communities around the world, and as a result, her eclectic musical taste is a reflection of her life’s experiences.
SCHEDULE AT THE ARTS TENT:
1:00 pm - 3:00 pm: Paint a Canvas, with Melanie Royster. This piece of community art brings people together, acts as a form of relaxing/therapy, and highlights the importance of art.
About Melanie Royster: Melanie studied Interior Design at Virginia Commonwealth University School of Arts and is currently working towards growing in her art career. She believes that studying Interior Design has helped her learn to connect with people. When designing for clients she focuses a lot on healing effects of the client’s space, knowing that the design will affect their energy and productivity. She now uses that same practice when it comes to her art, especially when working with other brands.
She wants to make people feel and reflect. Melanie’s design style is influenced by Caribbean and West African cultures, stemming in part from her Jamaican background. A lot of her concepts are centered on the power and worth of women, especially women of color. She also finds Nature to be very grounding in her work and incorporates it in almost every piece. Texture and vibrant colors are also used to highlight important messages and stories, adding movement to her pieces.
Ages 6+. Children must be supervised by an adult.
SCHEDULE AT THE PROGRAM TENT
11:30am - 12:15 pm: Reading of the picture book ‘Bubble Sea’, by author Danielle Marietta, with Q&A about her journey on becoming a children’s book author. Book signing to follow. Ages 4+ years old. Children must be supervised by an adult.
About Danielle Marietta: Danielle is originally from Seattle but has been living in the DC metro area for the last 17 years. While studying at Howard University she met her husband. And although Danielle has always enjoyed writing, she did not take it seriously until she spent hours on end reading to their three children. She writes for them.
Danielle’s passion for writing has led her on a journey to self publishing 3 children’s books, starting a publishing company and ultimately to coaching others who find themselves on similar paths. She writes to make sure her children, and all kids, see equal representation in books. Danielle aims to use her platform to share more diverse books and spread awareness of other indie authors. Every life is a story and Danielle is an open book, eager to share her chapters with you.
12:30pm - 1:15pm: Maternal and Postpartum Care in the Black Community, by Samantha Griffin of DC Metro Maternity
About Samantha Griffin: Samantha Griffin lives in Maryland, near Washington, DC. She became a doula in 2013, driven by a passion to help others experience pregnancy, birth and postpartum without isolation or judgement. She was especially moved by experiences with girls in the child welfare system, and the high rates of infant and maternal mortality for Black women. Since having made this work her full time career in 2016, Samantha has gone on to build an agency- DC Metro Maternity, specializing in serving families of color in the DMV area. She has become known for her insistence that Black women be prioritized and cared for as they become mothers, as well as a focus on mental health for all birthing people. She is a writer, speaker and course creator and has been featured on MSNBC, NPR’s 1A radio and several national podcasts and publications.
1:30pm - 2:15pm: Exploration and Discussion of the Djembe Drum, Choreography on the Set of Marvel's Black Panther 1 & 2, by Jabari Exum, Percussionist - Vocalist - Mover - Actor
(My Mama Named me Jabari EXUM)
About Jabari Exum: Jabari Exum is an electrifying percussionist, Hip-Hop, and Theater artist born and raised in Washington DC. Since 1997, He has also been a pioneering artist in a movement called, “Hip-Hop Theater”. Needless to say, Jabari's approach to everything that he touches is unique & unconventional since he is able to pull from so many different sources. He has been acting, drumming, rapping and moving thru martial arts, gymnastics and dance, since he was 2yrs old and has been blessed with the opportunities to receive guidance from some of the greats across many fields of creative study. A few of his mentors have been: Debbie Allen Chadwick Boseman, Reggie & Roy Wooten, Mamady Keita, Grady Tate, Djimo Kouyate, KRS-One, Sonya Sanchez, Glen Turner, Chucky Thompson, Bill Summers, Leon Mobley, Rickie Byars Beckwith, Robert Northern, Mamadi Nyasuma, Barnett Williams, Baba Ngoma, Hugh Masekela, Jabulani Tsambo, and Marc Cary. Most Recently, Jabari served as the Movement Coach and Lead Djembe player (African Drummer) for Marvel's Black Panther 1 & 2. His newest Creation is called, 'Percussion Theater' (a community Drum cypher-class and Interactive Mediation Concert) focused on Healing Human Beings thru Sound!!! Enjoy
2:30pm - 3:15pm: The Symbolism of the Juneteenth Flag with Levita Mondie
About Levita Mondie: Levita Mondie is a native of Memphis, Tennessee who has lived in the DC metropolitan area since 1993. Over more than two decades, she has taught every grade from 6th to seniors in college. Currently, she teaches history and literature to 7th and 8th graders at Burgundy Farm Country Day School in Alexandria, Virginia. She is also a writer who has published pieces as a literary scholar, poet, and vegan chef. Most of all, she is the mother of two beautiful, creative, spirited daughters who are now college students.
Color the Juneteenth flag or take one home to color later! Ages 6+. Children must be supervised by an adult.