Latest news with #FivePoints
Al Arabiya
13 hours ago
- Business
- Al Arabiya
Juneteenth Celebrations Adapt After Corporate Sponsors Pull Support
Juneteenth celebrations have been scaled back this year due to funding shortfalls as companies and municipalities across the country reconsider their support for diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. Canceled federal grants and businesses moving away from so-called brand activism have hit the bottom line of parades and other events heading into Thursday's federal holiday, which celebrates the end of slavery in the US. The shrinking financial support coincides with many companies severing ties with LGBTQ celebrations for Pride this year and President Donald Trump's efforts to squash DEI programs throughout the federal government. In Denver, for example, more than a dozen companies backed out of supporting the Juneteenth Music Festival, which is one of the city's biggest celebrations of the holiday, according to Norman Harris, executive director of JMF Corporation, which puts on the event. 'There were quite a few sponsors who pulled back their investments or let us know they couldn't or wouldn't be in a position to support this year,' said Harris, who has overseen the event for more than a decade. The festival, which takes place in the historically Black Five Points neighborhood, has been scaled back to one day instead of two because of the budget shortfall. It has only been able to stay afloat thanks to donations from individuals and foundations. 'Thankfully, there was a wide range of support that came when we made the announcement that the celebration is in jeopardy,' Harris said. Juneteenth celebrates the day the last enslaved people in Texas were told they were free on June 19, 1865–two years after President Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation. The day has been celebrated by Black Americans for generations, including in Harris's family, but became more widely celebrated after becoming a federal holiday in 2021. After the 2020 murder of George Floyd, many companies pursued efforts to make their branding more inclusive, but it has slowed down over the past few years after some received blowback from conservatives and because many companies didn't see it as an important part of their revenue stream, said Dionne Nickerson, a professor in marketing at Emory University. Some companies can no longer afford to support Juneteenth celebrations because they just don't have the money given the economic uncertainty, according to Sonya Grier, a marketing professor at American University. 'It's a whole confluence of issues,' Grier said. Many state and local governments hold or help fund celebrations, but some decided not to this year. The governor's office in West Virginia stated that the state won't be hosting any Juneteenth events this year for the first time since 2017 due to a budget deficit. Republican Gov. Patrick Morrisey last month signed a bill to end all diversity programs. 'Due to the continued fiscal challenges facing West Virginia state government will not be sponsoring any formal activities,' deputy press secretary Drew Galang said in an email. City Council members in Scottsdale, Arizona, dissolved their DEI office in February, which led to the cancellation of the city's annual Juneteenth festival. Event organizers in Colorado Springs, Colorado, had to move locations due to fewer sponsors and cuts in city funding, said Jennifer Smith, a planner for the Southern Colorado Juneteenth Festival. Around five companies sponsored the event this year compared to dozens in years prior, Smith said. 'They have said their budgets have been cut because of DEI and that they can no longer afford it,' she said. Some groups have also mentioned safety concerns. Planners in Bend, Oregon, cited an increasingly volatile political climate in a statement about why they canceled this year's celebration. Many local organizations have also had their budgets slashed after the National Endowment for the Arts pulled funding for numerous grants in May. The Cooper Family Foundation throws one of the largest Juneteenth celebrations in San Diego each year. It was one of dozens of groups told by the NEA in May that its $25,000 grant was being rescinded. The email said the event no longer aligned with the agency's priorities, said Maliya Jones, who works for the foundation. The grant money went toward paying for arts and dance performers. The event will still take place this year, but members of the Cooper family will have to divide up covering the costs, said Marla Cooper, who leads the foundation. 'That's $25,000 we have to figure out how we're going to pay for,' Cooper said. 'We will always have Juneteenth. And we will work it out,' she said.
The Independent
13 hours ago
- Business
- The Independent
Juneteenth celebrations adapt after corporate sponsors pull support
Juneteenth celebrations have been scaled back this year due to funding shortfalls as companies and municipalities across the country reconsider their support for diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. Canceled federal grants and businesses moving away from so-called brand activism have hit the bottom line of parades and other events heading into Thursday's federal holiday, which celebrates the end of slavery in the United States. The shrinking financial support coincides with many companies severing ties with LGBTQ celebrations for Pride this year and President Donald Trump's efforts to squash DEI programs throughout the federal government. In Denver, for example, more than a dozen companies backed out of supporting the Juneteenth Music Festival, which is one of the city's biggest celebrations of the holiday, according to Norman Harris, executive director of JMF Corporation, which puts on the event. 'There were quite a few sponsors who pulled back their investments or let us know they couldn't or wouldn't be in a position to support this year," said Harris, who has overseen the event for more than a decade. The festival, which takes place in the historically Black Five Points neighborhood, has been scaled back to one day instead of two because of the budget shortfall. It has only been able to stay afloat thanks to donations from individuals and foundations. 'Thankfully, there was a wide range of support that came when we made the announcement that the celebration is in jeopardy,' Harris said. Juneteenth celebrates the day the last enslaved people in Texas were told they were free on June 19, 1865, two years after President Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation. The day has been celebrated by Black Americans for generations, including in Harris' family, but became more widely celebrated after becoming a federal holiday in 2021. After the 2020 murder of George Floyd, many companies pursued efforts to make their branding more inclusive, but it has slowed down over the past few years after some received blowback from conservatives and because many companies didn't see it as an important part of their revenue stream, said Dionne Nickerson, a professor in marketing at Emory University. Some companies can no longer afford to support Juneteenth celebrations because they just don't have the money given the economic uncertainty, according to Sonya Grier, a marketing professor at American University. 'It's a whole confluence of issues,' Grier said. Rollback of local support Many state and local governments hold or help fund celebrations, but some decided not to this year. The governor's office in West Virginia stated that the state won't be hosting any Juneteenth events this year for the first time since 2017 due to a budget deficit. Republican Gov. Patrick Morrisey last month signed a bill to end all diversity programs. 'Due to the continued fiscal challenges facing West Virginia, state government will not be sponsoring any formal activities,' deputy press secretary Drew Galang said in an email. City Council members in Scottsdale, Arizona, dissolved their DEI office in February, which led to the cancellation of the city's annual Juneteenth festival. Event organizers in Colorado Springs, Colorado, had to move locations due to fewer sponsors and cuts in city funding, said Jennifer Smith, a planner for the Southern Colorado Juneteenth Festival. Around five companies sponsored the event this year, compared to dozens in years prior, Smith said. 'They have said their budgets have been cut because of DEI,' and that they can no longer afford it, she said. Some groups have also mentioned safety concerns. Planners in Bend, Oregon, cited 'an increasingly volatile political climate' in a statement about why they canceled this year's celebration. Slashes in federal funding Many local organizations have also had their budgets slashed after the National Endowment for the Arts pulled funding for numerous grants in May. The Cooper Family Foundation throws one of the largest Juneteenth celebrations in San Diego each year. It was one of dozens of groups told by the NEA in May that its $25,000 grant was being rescinded. The email said the event no longer aligned with the agency's priorities, said Maliya Jones, who works for the foundation. The grant money went toward paying for arts and dance performers. The event will still take place this year, but members of the Cooper family will have to divide up covering the costs, said Marla Cooper, who leads the foundation. 'That's $25,000 we have to figure out how we're going to pay for," Cooper said. 'We will always have Juneteenth. And we will work it out,' she said. ___
Yahoo
11-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Potential amphitheater faces criticism from some Washington residents
WASHINGTON, Ill. (WMBD) — A potential amphitheater has been the talk of the city of Washington over the past few months, for what some say it could bring and also for the concerns others have. An in-depth discussion happened at a Committee of the Whole meeting on Monday, which features city council members in a non-voting fashion. Council members, residents, and project leaders gave their input. The $12 million 'Dee Amphitheater' would be mostly covered by the Hengst Foundation, a private donor, and be built on land near the intersection of U.S. Route 24 and Nofsinger Road. The area is commonly referred to as the '223' property. Washington residents raise concerns over the possibility of a new amphitheater The city would be on the hook for about $3.5 million in infrastructure costs for the 5,000-seat venue but receive money from the foundation for leasing the space. A detention basin built near the amphitheater would also be expected to be maintained by the city. Some residents spoke in support of the project, such as one man who thinks it would be a 'great opportunity' for the city. 'I look at the amphitheater as such a great amenity to this town, like the libraries, the parks, and Five Points. I've seen so many comments on Facebook against the amphitheater, but people that are against something are the most vocal,' he said. Others spoke against it, like one woman who questioned the kind of artists the venue could get to perform. 'If people want to go see a big name, they go to Chicago or St. Louis or Bloomington or Peoria. Who are we going to attract? We're going to get the same people we get at Five Points,' she said. Project leaders like Nick LeRoy spoke as well, who takes care of entertainment for the Hengst Foundation, and helps book concerts around the Midwest. He said that musical artists want to play in tertiary markets like Washington, as it can be hard to compete for tickets in big cities like Chicago and Los Angeles where there are hundreds of concerts per night. He also downplayed concerns over the amphitheater being 'in competition' with Five Points. Another concern raised by residents has been the potential noise of the venue being a nuisance to surrounding homes. But LeRoy said the decibel level should be so minimal that it shouldn't affect anyone, which was met with some laughter from the crowd. He finished by saying he understands the concerns from residents, but that there are also plenty of 'misconceptions.' City staff members have reached out to current and former members of the Decatur Park District to discuss the city's Devon Lakeshore Amphitheater, and it was determined that the area that noise reaches would not impact nearby residents. Still, some attendees contended that the two amphitheaters are completely different from each other, as the Devon is built near Lake Decatur while the Dee Amphitheater would not be built near a body of water. Council member John Blundy expressed his own concerns about a letter of intent between the foundation and city that is expected to be discussed at a city council meeting in the near future. Blundy believes that not nearly enough questions have been answered and that he would not vote in favor of one at the moment, saying his two criteria have not been met for the project. Those two criteria are that it cannot be a burden to taxpayers, and it cannot be a nuisance. He took a straw poll at the meeting regarding a future town hall regarding the project, which was unanimously voted 'yes' by his fellow council members. While that wasn't a binding vote, it could be something to watch out for in the coming weeks. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
