Juneteenth is the oldest known nationally celebrated event commemorating the end of slavery in the United States. President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation declared that as of January 1, 1863, all slaves in states in rebellion against the Union “shall be then, thenceforward, and forever free.” However, it was not until June 19th, 1865, two years later, when the U.S. Army took possession of Galveston Island in Texas and began a war against defenders of slavery that the enslaved people in Galveston, could begin their journey towards freedom.
These online events are free. Your donations will help us bring programs such as these to the community.
Found Lineage: Celebrating African American Roots & Branches
June 17, 18 & 19, 2021
Events include: Workshop, Concert, Keynote Address, & Ancestor Reverence Drumming & Dance
There is more of a connection between food, culture, and our soul than we may think.
The current debate around race in America is coinciding with a technological phenomenon: the extraordinary growth of DNA testing and the meaning of these results on concepts of lineage and race. The ease of access to this scientific testing has led people on a journey to delve deeper into their roots and fill out the branches of their family tree.
While the research has brought some extraordinary stories of reconciliation to the public, the data collected through our genes has demonstrated the brutality of America’s history. A recent study shows that, while the majority of enslaved people brought to the Americas were male, enslaved women had a disproportionate impact on the gene pool of their descendants. There is much evidence of the systematic rape and sexual exploitation of enslaved Black women.
With a focus on African American genealogy and research, this year’s Juneteenth Celebration offers a series of engaging, informative, and entertaining programs that examine the connection between the emerging knowledge of our DNA and historical events in the Black community. Programs also highlight how science is leading journeys of self-discovery, helping people rewrite their understanding not only of their families but also of their orientations as Americans.
This celebration is sponsored by:
Eastern Bank, ReVision Energy, People’s Bank, University of New Hampshire, The Music Hall, McClane Middleton & Centrus Digital.
Schedule of Events
Thursday, June 17, 2021, 10:00am-2:30pm, Virtual Workshop | Cost $40
Finding Our Roots: Researching Black History & Genealogy
Embarking for the first time, or relatively new to researching African American History and Genealogy? This workshop, divided into 4 one-hour sessions, will provide you with the opportunity to develop research techniques and learn about available resources.
Public Historian Shawn Halifax will share tips and ethical guidance on how to approach this important work. He will discuss his ongoing research into Abolitionist and Civil War Veteran Martin Becker, an Asian-African American who was born in Surinam and who lived in New Hampshire for a time.
Archivists Charmaine Bonner and Jessica Salow will lead the second half of the workshop on the basics of genealogical and archival research. They will cover primary source materials, helpful databases, and other resources available to assist in your family research.
In addition, participants will hear from two individuals, Robert Bellinger & Tonya Ward Singer, who have researched their family lineage.
Workshop Schedule
| 10:00–11:00 am | How to do African American History Research featuring Shawn Halifax |
| 11:00am – noon | African American Family Genealogy Case Study featuring Robert Bellinger |
| 12:00–12:30 pm | Lunch Break |
| 12:30–1:30 pm | How to do African American Genealogical Research featuring Charmaine Bonner & Jessica Salow |
| 1:30–2:30 pm | Uncovering My Family’s History of Enslavement featuring Tonya Ward Singer, a Moffatt Ladd Descendant |
Friday, June 18, 2021, 7:30 PM, Live Concert, Music Hall, Portsmouth NH | Cost $35
Feeling Good: N'Kenge Celebrates African American Sopranos
Way before Marian Anderson made history when she sang at the Lincoln Memorial, New Hampshire’s 18th Century African American Soprano Nellie Brown Mitchell was making history in music halls across the country.
This concert, featuring Broadway Soprano, N’Kenge will honor Nellie Brown Mitchell, Aretha Franklin and other famous African American female singers who changed the trajectory of American music. N’Kenge’s unique genre-crossing vocal stylings and five-octave range have wowed audiences from New York to Paris to Monte Carlo.
N’Kenge will be accompanied by the North Star Blues Band.
Saturday, June 19, 2021, 10:00-11:30 am, Virtual Panel Discussion | FREE
Art of The Story: Exploring How DNA Powers a Changing Narrative
“Narrative is radical, creating us at the very moment it is being created.”
–Toni Morrison, 1993 Nobel Lecture
In every culture and every religion, stories have played critical roles in constituting meaning, constructing identity, and prescribing behavior. In this age of genetic reckoning, fueled by the extraordinary growth of DNA testing, many Americans are unearthing lost families’ stories and connections that are reshaping the mythic American narrative.
This panel discussion will also explore the role the new science is playing in presenting a more complete story of our country, the dangers inherent in the new science, and the power of the story to aid in individual and collective healing. The past is still with us – inside of us.
Presenters
Gina Page, President and Co-Founder African Ancestry, Washington, DC
Dr. Reynaldo Anderson, Harris-Stowe State University in Saint Louis, Missouri
Jabari Asim, (TBC)
Moderator
Shari Robinson
Saturday, June 19, 3:00 PM, Live Drumming & Dance, Free & Open to the Public
Dance of The Ancestors: Ritual, Chants, Drumming & Movement
For many West Africa cultures, ancestor veneration often takes the form of a masquerade. When the masquerade appears, a portal between the seen and unseen world opens, allowing the spirits of the ancestors to descend to the earthly realm. During the masquerade dance, blessing, guidance, and healing for the living are dispensed to individuals and the community as a whole.
For this closing event, live streaming from the Portsmouth African Burying Ground, Chief Wándé Abímbọ́lá, a Yoruba Babalowo and the Àwísẹ Awo Àgbàyé (Voice of Ifa in the World), Chief Oscar Mokeme from the Nmuo Society, and members from Akwaaba Ensemble will honor the ancestors through rituals, chants, African drumming and dance.
Biographies
Shawn Halifax currently directs public history programming for Charleston County Parks in South Carolina at McLeod Plantation Historic Site and Caw Caw Interpretive Center. He is a certified interpretive planner and trainer specializing in ethical interpretations of slavery and its legacies and is the lead facilitator of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture’s Interpreting African American History and Culture Workshop. He is the former Director of Public Programming and interim director of the Casemate Museum at Fort Monroe National Monument, in Hampton, VA.
Robert Bellinger, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor of History at Suffolk University. He is the founder and Director of the Black Studies program and Director of the Clark Collection of African American Literature. Professor Bellinger teaches classes in African American history, African Diasporan studies, and the history and culture of Senegal. His research interests include late 19th century African American history, West African history, and culture, and West African drum traditions. In addition to his teaching and research, Professor Bellinger is also involved in training student teachers to teach history in the middle and secondary schools, working on the inclusion of African and African diasporan history and culture into school and university curricula, and working with study abroad programs that provide students an international, cross-cultural enhancement of their academic work.
Charmaine Bonner is a native Detroiter who became interested in history at an early age. Bonner initially decided to become a teacher but a position as a library student worker inspired her to pursue librarianship. Eventually, Bonner learned she could connect her love for history and librarianship into one career through archives. The rest is history. Currently, she is responsible for arranging, describing, accessioning, and re-boxing manuscript collections. After a collection is physically processed, she writes a finding aid for each collection. A finding aid is a guide that describes the collection and its' creator(s), historical background and significance, the contents of each box and folder, restrictions (if there are any) and gives instructions of how a patron can access the collection. Bonner is interested in exploring the collections at the ASU Library as a means to learn more about history, uncover hidden stories, and is open to collaboration.
Jessica Salow is currently a Specialist at Arizona State University Library with the Community-Driven Archives Initiative (CDA) which was established in 2017 through the generous support of The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. She obtained her Masters in Library and Information Science (MLIS) from The University of Arizona and is an alumna of Arizona State University. Her current work with the CDA team focuses on building relationships with historically marginalized communities (Latinx, Black, Asian & Pacific Islander, Indigenous and the LGBTQ+) in Arizona by creating intergenerational and intersectional safe spaces for people within these communities to acknowledge historical traumas. They do this by centering the lived experiences of these marginalized communities and invite members to share their knowledge with others through workshops we host with community partners. Their work in this space is meant to redefine the traditional definition and function of an institutional archive and bring to light archival material that has previously been overlooked by institutional archives.
Tonya Ward Singer lived four decades before becoming aware of her ancestors - who lived in Kittery and Portsmouth and profited from chattel slavery for seven generations. Ever since she found a clue in an 18th-century family letter passed down to her from ancestors, she has surrendered into a deep search for truth and reckoning to understand and heal the legacies of racial violence and white silence in her family and this nation. In her talk, Tonya shares her personal story of using genealogical tools in tandem with local Black history publications to uncover interconnected histories, name individuals, and reframe the narrative in ways that center Black humanity, resistance, and resilience. Professionally, Tonya is a keynote speaker, author, and learning leader who helps K-12 educators shift mindsets and practices for equity and multilingual learner achievement. Her bestselling books in education include “Breaking down the Wall” (co-authored), EL Excellence Every Day,” and “Opening Doors to Equity.”Tonya also co-facilitates antiracism dialogues in non-profit organizations committed to healing racial trauma and ending the legacies of racial oppression in this nation. Connect with Tonya on Twitter @TonyaWardSinger and via her website www.tonyasinger.com.
Kabria Baumgartner is an Associate professor of English and Women’s & Gender Studies at the University of New Hampshire. She specializes in nineteenth-century African American history and literature. Her first book, In Pursuit of Knowledge: Black Women and Educational Activism in Antebellum America (New York University Press, 2019), examines the history of school desegregation in the nineteenth-century Northeast by focusing on the experiences of African American girls and women. She is currently writing her second book, Bound To Service: Black Girls and Unfree Labor in the Shadow of Slavery, which explores the rise of indentured servitude in the Northeast and its impact on African American girls and women during the early national period. Kabria Baumgartner earned her Ph.D. in African-American/Black Studies at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
N'Kenge, an international award-winning singer, is an artist whose musical range covers eleven languages and genres that stretches from Opera, gospel, Jazz, pop and musical theatre. A graduate of both Juilliard and Manhattan School of Music, N'Kenge starred in a "Man in the Mirror" world tribute show and made her debut in Sondheim on Sondheim singing alongside Vanessa Williams, Barbara Cook, Tom Wopat and Norm Lewis.
Gina Paige's life work lies at the intersection of culture, science, and business. With a career that spans nearly thirty years, she has become the go-to expert on genetic ancestry tracing for people of African descent. Gina's passion for Africa and Black people, coupled with her bold, risk-taking style has secured her place in history as a trailblazing pioneer of the industry. In 2003, Dr. Gina Paige co-founded African Ancestry, Inc. (AfricanAncestry.com), the first company to offer genetic ancestry tracing to help Black people find their African countries and tribes of origin. In addition to creating a new African American consumer marketplace for DIY DNA kits, her leadership has steered AfricanAncestry.com to become the world leader in genetic Ancestry tracing for people of African descent
Jabari Asim (TBC)
Dr. Reynaldo Anderson currently serves as Associate Professor of Communication Studies at Harris-Stowe State University in Saint Louis, Missouri. Reynaldo is currently the executive director and co-founder of the Black Speculative Arts Movement (BSAM), an international network of artists, intellectuals, creatives, and activists. He is the co-editor of the following anthologies and journals, Afrofuturism 2.0: The Rise of Astro-Blackness and The Black Speculative Arts Movement: Black Futurity, Art+Design (Lexington), Cosmic Underground: A Grimoire of Black Speculative Discontent (Cedar Grove Publishing), Black Lives, Black Politics, Black Futures, a special issue of TOPIA: Canadian Journal of Cultural Studies and When is Wakanda: Afrofuturism and Dark Speculative Futurity. He is also the author of numerous articles on Africana Studies and Communication studies and helped conceive the joint BSAM and NY LIVE Arts Curating the End of the World online exhibitions.
Shari Robinson is the director of Psychological and Counseling Services at UNH. Shari’s areas of professional interest include counseling issues related to diversity and multiculturalism, spirituality/religion, First-Generation college students, Student Veterans, and mentoring people of color. Shari considers herself a social justice change agent working toward equity, inclusion and diversity in all of her professional and personal settings.
Chief Wándé Abímbọ́lá is a Nigerian academician, a professor of Yoruba language and literature, and former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University), and has also served as the Majority Leader of the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. He was installed as Àwísẹ Awo Àgbàyé in 1981 by the Ooni of Ife on the recommendation of a conclave of Babalawos of Yorubaland. Abímbọ́lá taught in three Nigerian universities, namely the University of Ibadan, University of Lagos, and the University of Ife. He has also taught at several US universities, including Indiana University, Amherst College, Harvard Universit, Boston University, Colgate University, and the University of Louisville. Abimbola has written several books on Ifá and Yoruba culture.
Chief Oscar Mokeme is the Co-Founder and the Executive Director of The Museum of African Culture in Portland Maine, DBA The Center for Sacred Arts. He has spent most of his adult life collecting, preserving, and interpreting African humanistic art. He also conducts workshops on the traditional healing practices of the Nigerian Igbo people. Mokeme comes from a long linage of Igbo Royal family healer practitioners called “Umu-dibia.” He is a direct inheritor of this sacred ancient wisdom. He holds the traditional priesthood title of Ugo-Orji and Ozo-dimani of Aborji-Oba in his native country Nigeria. Oscar has been awarded the traditional Arts Master, as a Traditional Healer by The Maine Arts Commission.
Theo Martey & The Akwaaba Ensemble’s energetic and engaging performances are a reflection of their name, which means ‘welcome’ in the Twi language of the Ashanti tribe of Ghana. At each performance, the Ensemble brings Highlife music, West African drumming, and dance to vivid life. Theo was born and raised in Accra, Ghana, West Africa. He is a songwriter, recording artist, producer, performer, teaching artist, and recipient of the 2019 Governor’s Arts Award for Arts Education. He was featured on New Hampshire Magazine “Who’s It for 2019?” list. Other members of the Akwaaba Ensemble include Namory Keita– Master Djembe Fola – kpanlogo drums and backing vocals from Guinea West Africa. Josh Williams – Djun Djun Drummer, hand percussion and backing vocal. Michael Osendah – Dancer, backing vocal and lite percussion from Ghana, West Africa. Monique Williams – Dancer, singer, and lite percussion.
This celebration is sponsored by:
Eastern Bank, ReVision Energy, People’s Bank, University of New Hampshire, The Music Hall, McClane Middleton & Centrus Digital.
