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Yahoo
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Rochester holds Juneteenth Parade and Festival
ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) – The Greater Rochester Martin Luther King Jr. Commission will be hosting the 2025 Juneteenth Parade and Festival on Saturday in Rochester. The parade will begin on State Street and head to MLK Park at 11 a.m. The these this year is 'Maintaining Infinite Hope' and honoring the ongoing pursuit of unity and justice. The Juneteenth Festival will include DJ sets, Elders Ceremony, African drumming, food vendors, live performances from local talent and community youth, and more from noon until 8 p.m. Headliner, Grammy-winning artist Robert Glasper will perform at 7 p.m. The parade and festival are powerful reflections of the Rochester community's commitment to unity, justice, and cultural pride. 'As one of the city`s largest and most meaningful events, it honors the emancipation of enslaved African Americans while uplifting Black voices through music, art and activism,' organizers said. Juneteenth is an annual holiday in the United States that commemorates the emancipation of enslaved African Americans. It is celebrated on June 19 and marks the day in 1865 when Union soldiers arrived in Galveston, Texas to announce that slavery had been abolished and that the Civil War had ended. It is a time for reflection, celebration, and education about the history, ongoing struggles, and progress of Black people in the United States. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Celebrate freedom and Black heritage on Juneteenth with parade, stories, art in Knoxville
Juneteenth ‒ also known as Jubilee Day, Emancipation Day and Freedom Day ‒ falls on a Thursday this year and will be marked in Knoxville with festivals, a parade, music and other activities on and around June 19 to celebrate Black freedom. Officially declared a Tennessee state holiday two years ago − and a federal holiday four years ago − Juneteenth will be observed by federal, city of Knoxville and Knox County employees. Juneteenth (short for June 19th) marks the date in 1865 when the last enslaved people in Texas were informed they were free and is considered the longest-running African American holiday. The holiday is often celebrated with music, services, food, parades and other activities. It's also an opportunity to learn more about Black and African American history and culture while reflecting on how slavery and racism has affected our communities and what it means to be truly free. If you would like to see your Juneteenth event featured on this list, email June 14 – Green McAdoo Cultural Center The Green McAdoo Cultural Center will have its fourth annual Juneteenth Celebration at 6 p.m. with live performances from Jorden Albright and The event is free and will have local artists and food vendors present. For more event information, visit June 19 – Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemorative Commission The 2025 MLK Jr. Parade/March and Juneteenth Celebration, presented by the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Commemorative Commission, will begin with registration and line-up at 8:30 a.m. at Chilhowee Park. The parade will begin at 10 a.m., proceeding down Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and ending at Dr. Walter Hardy Park. The Juneteenth Celebration will start at 11 a.m. at the park. The celebration will include live entertainment, a DJ, music performances, dancing, a drill team, kids' area, food vendors and retail vendors. For more information and to register, visit June 19 and June 21 – Mabry-Hazen House The Mabry-Hazen House, featuring generations of family artifacts and heirlooms, will share emancipation stories about local enslaved communities. Visitors can explore how enslaved people connected to the Mabry-Hazen House gained their freedom and fought to dismantle American chattel slavery. Three special Juneteenth Day tours will start at 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. Patrick Hollis, the executive director of Mabry-Hazen House, will give a presentation at 6 p.m. June 19 on the life and emancipation of Wiley Mabry. The story offers a celebratory yet sobering tale of the lengths enslaved African-Americans took to obtain their freedom. On June 21, two Juneteenth Day tours will be offered at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Admission is free, but reservations are encouraged, and donations are appreciated. Visit for more information and to make reservations. June 21 – Anderson County Democrats Join the Anderson County Democrats to celebrate freedom, community and resilience at the Juneteenth Celebration in Scarboro. This family-friendly gathering will take place at the Scarboro Community Center 3-8:30 p.m. The event includes food, music, performances and local vendors. Visit for more information. June 21 – The Bottom Join The Bottom for the Juneteenth LitKidz Workshop, where a reading of "Tell Me About Juneteenth" by Kortney Nash will be presented. Participants will be able to make Juneteenth-themed bracelets after story time. Each family that participates will receive a copy of the book, and snacks will be served. You do not have to be a part of the LitKidz program to attend the workshop. This workshop is most appropriate for children ages 5-12. For more information and to make reservations, visit Through Aug. 2 – UT Downtown Gallery "Remembering: Resist, Reveal, ReClaim" is presented by the Crafting Blackness initiative, a five-year collaborative research, publication and exhibition series to advance the visibility of Black Craft and African American artists in Tennessee since 1920 up to present. The exhibition is co-curated by Karlota Contreras-Koterbay, director of Slocumb Galleries at East Tennessee State University and director of the Crafting Blackness Initiative, and Dr. Cynthia Gadsden, associate professor of art history at Tennessee State University, whose research areas include the visual arts, the lived experience and the ways knowledge is transferred across generations via culture, relationships, and story. The exhibit will be on display at the UT Downtown Gallery until Aug. 2. For more information on the exhibit and gallery hours, visit This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Knoxville Juneteenth events 2025: Celebrate with parade, stories, more
Yahoo
05-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Local officials sing Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s praises
PLATTSBURGH — Sunday's commemoration of Dr. Martin Luther King featured several local officials as speakers. Michael Cashman, Town of Plattsburgh Supervisor; State Assemblyman D. Billy Jones (D-Chateaugay Lake); Janet McFetridge, Village of Champlain mayor; Wendell Hughes, City of Plattsburgh mayor and a representative of New York Gov. Kathy Hochul. 'This year's celebration is especially significant as it takes place during February, during Black History Month,' Cashman said. 'It's a time to honor the contributions of Black leaders, artists and activists who have shaped our nation's history, but it is also time to recognize the work that is not yet finished. Dr. King reminds us that we are not makers of history. We are made by history. Black History Month is not just about reflection. It is about using lessons of the past and inspiring action today. So let us not just remember the history, but commit to shaping the future through learning, through advocacy and through service.' Other notable speakers included Pastor Phil Kneller, First Assembly of God Church; Monte Prather, founding MLK Commission member; Shi-vear Parker, SUNY Plattsburgh student; Holly Heller-Ross of SUNY Plattsburgh, Elaine Austry, Glenda Rowe, Pastor Lance Gocke, Turnpike Wesleyan Church, Stan Ransom and Pastor Don Curry, New Testament Church. 'Many of us may be feeling despair, discouragement and disappointment amidst the constant chatter creating chaos and confusion. Some may react with anger, others with hopelessness, some will withdraw. But I ask you to remember the words of Dr Martin Luther King Jr., when he said, a community built on hate, anger or spite will crumble,' McFetridge said during her remarks. 'Community, the power of community, your hometown, your neighborhood, your state, your country and beyond, humans share the need to belong. Small actions will lead to greater understanding, kitchen table talks and street corner chats allow us to share our stories. We can be present for one another and experience the privilege of being seen and heard one person at a time.' Mayor Hughes said there was, 'no bigger honor' than to be asked to speak at the ceremony. 'What a great honor to be mayor of the City of Plattsburgh, but part of that honor is this, again, you know, people ask me to speak at a Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. ceremony and that, there's no bigger honor, especially during Black History (Month),' he said. Hughes said he has great admiration and respect for King and recited some of his favorite quotes of his. 'Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was one of my favorites with his quotes. Some of these inspirational speeches, I only can dream of inspiring just a small percentage of who he inspired,' Hughes said. 'If he had not been taken from us at such an early age of 39 who knows how far he could have gone. My wife and I traveled across the country in a motorhome and we went through cities with an MLK drive. and every time we come across the road, we both look into each other and we say, 'I have a dream,' because we have to. and that's just out of total respect for him.'
