Juneteenth Community Day At D.C.’s Nat’l Museum African-American History & Culture

WASHINGTON, D.C.

The Smithsonian’s National Museum of African-American History and Culture (NMAAHC) is celebrating the Juneteenth holiday with a special Community Day and “A Seat at the Table” evening program Saturday, June 15. The public is invited to join the museum’s Juneteenth celebration – during the entire month of June – and embrace the rich history of Freedom Day each week.

“Juneteenth is a time to celebrate freedom – both its promise and the enduring legacy of those who valiantly sought to realize it,” said Kevin Young, NMAAHC’s director. “As we look to this form of living history, this now-federal holiday reminds us of the joy and struggle of the past as well as the possibilities of the future.”

Juneteenth Community Day on Saturday, June 15 is themed “Freedom, Movement, and Migration.” This special day will offer educational, and cultural programs designed to enrich understanding and honor the legacy of freedom, movement and migration.

Activities and events begin at 11 a.m. with Juneteenth Storytime which repeats at 2:30 p.m.. Also, from noon to 2 p.m.,  Crafts of Juneteenth will allow participants to design their own Juneteenth flag and create art based on the life and works of artist, veteran and fish pepper seed enthusiast, Horace Pippin. All ages are welcome.

A program presenting the Buffalo Soldiers from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and again 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. will instruct on the 19th- and 20th-Century all-Black regiments’ pivotal role in supporting the nation’s westward expansion,. It will feature representatives from the U.S. Forest Service and the Buffalo Soldiers, Greater Washington, D.C. Chapter, 9th and 10th Cavalry Association.

Other activities are the Juneteenth Chef’s Table and Book Signing (noon to 2 p.m.) featuring renowned vegan chef and food activist Bryant Terry; running concurrent with Mixology of Juneteenth (noon to 2 p.m.) where participants can join a mocktail workshop to create drinks, including hibiscus “Red Drink,” and mint lemonade,  using fresh ingredients from NMAAHC’s Pippin Garden.

At 3 p.m., the Juneteenth Soundstage will present live jazz performances by Alphonso Horne and the Gotham Kings with a focus on the role of jazz as a symbol of movement, migration and resilience.

Later that evening at 6:45 p.m., the museum will present  A Seat at the Table: A Juneteenth Conversation with Bryant Terry and Kevin Young .

This event will explore African-American cuisine through the lens of migration, identity and resilience. Attendees will be offered a special plant-based meal curated by Bryant Terry, designed to celebrate the vibrancy and diversity of African-American cuisine and Juneteenth.

There is a $40 fee and registration is required for the evening event.

For more information, the full schedule and to register for the event, visit the museum’s website at nmaahc.edu.