17 Jun Greenway Celebrates Juneteenth
June 19th is Juneteenth, also known as Freedom Day or Emancipation Day.
Juneteenth celebrates the day when the last enslaved African Americans in the United States were finally granted their freedom on June 19, 1865, in Galveston, Texas, two years after the Emancipation Proclamation of 1863.
Juneteenth has been celebrated in the Black community since the late 1800s, only recently receiving more widespread acknowledgment. President Biden established Juneteenth as a National Holiday only today, June 17, 2021.
Juneteenth presents those of us outside of the Black community with an opportunity and a challenge to reflect on the progress our country has made since the Civil War, and to interrogate the many areas where we have fallen short of becoming a truly anti-racist society.
Here at Greenway, we are taking this holiday to reaffirm our commitment as an anti-racist organization. We pledge to regularly examine our practices and our beliefs, and to actively work toward dismantling white supremacy through our programs and culture.
The Los Angeles Times compiled an excellent list of Juneteenth activities happening in Los Angeles. We would especially like to highlight our friends at The Fountain Theatre, currently presenting the Los Angeles premiere of Brandon Jacobs-Jenkins’s An Octoroon on their newly constructed outdoor stage (we can’t wait to see this production!) The Juneteenth show is sold out, but they’re hosting a free Juneteenth celebration following the performance.
Also the fabulous Lower Depth Theatre, who we have hosted in our theatre on several occasions, is holding a Juneteenth Freedom Walk.
We would be remiss to not take this opportunity to call attention to the many wonderful African American theatres in our community. We encourage you to check them out and attend an event when you can, virtually or in person.