This year marks a major milestone - 10 incredible years of unforgettable moments celebrating Juneteenth at Joe’s Pub!  This event was born out of the desire to introduce audiences to the often under-represented repertoire of the African diaspora and to reflect on the meaning of Black creative expression within the context of Juneteenth. On June 19, 1865, in Galveston, Texas, Union Army General Gordon Granger stood on the balcony of the Ashton Villa and read General Order No. 3 announcing the complete emancipation of slaves as articulated in the Emancipation Proclamation signed into law by President Lincoln just a few years earlier. His reading of the order, buttressed by the presence of a couple thousand Union soldiers, announced and guaranteed the freedom of every slave. Juneteenth is first and foremost a celebration of freedom and in the case of our particular Juneteenth concert, it is the celebration of women and men from then to now, who decided that against all odds, they would pick up a violin, a conductor’s baton or a composer’s pen.  They chose a life in music when most of the world was determined to tell them in myriad ways that they could not and that they should not dare to dream.  For the past decade, we’ve gathered at Joe’s Pub to honor Juneteenth with a night of music, joy, and community and we are delighted that what started as an early summer celebration has now become a glorious tradition.

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Photo Credit: Jelani A. Thompson