NEWS RELEASE
GUELPH BLACK HERITAGE SOCIETY
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The Guelph Black Heritage Society continues its #ChangeStartsNow Anti-Racism Education initiative with the annual Juneteenth Celebration on June 19, 2021 at 7p.m.
This virtual event organized by Artistic Director Verese Vassell-Bowen will feature a variety of performances to commemorate the day, including: contemporary and traditional gospel music, spoken word, and dance. The goal of this event is to educate the community on the Juneteenth holiday and celebrate with performances from Canadian artists.
Juneteenth is a 156-year-old commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States. We observe it on June 19th to memorialize the day in 1865 when, in Galveston, Texas, many enslaved Black folks were informed of the end of the Civil War and the abolition of slavery. This official enforcement actually came late, as it had been well over two years since the signing of Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation in 1863. While Juneteenth marks a significant day in Black history and a day of remembrance, it is also an opportunity to honour and celebrate Black history, heritage and culture.
“Of all Emancipation Day observances, Juneteenth falls closest to the summer solstice, the longest day of the year, when the sun, at its zenith, defies the darkness in every state, including those once shadowed by slavery.”
– Henry Louis Gates, Jr
To register for this free event, click here. The suggested donation is $10 per person.
The #ChangeStartsNow Education Initiative is an anti-racism project and is aimed at preventing and responding to racism in Guelph and Wellington County. This has been achieved by developing community resources and capacity to educate the community about racism, local Black history, and methods that members of the public can enact themselves to prevent racism and hate crime.
This event is presented with support from the Province of Ontario’s Safer & Vital Communities Fund.
Proceeds from the Juneteenth Celebration will support the #ChangeStartsNow Education Initiative. The Guelph Black Heritage Society (GBHS) is a registered charity. Registration # 80158 3907 RR0001. Tax receipts will be issued for donations $25 or greater.
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