2021 Juneteenth Celebration

See Events Schedule

Found Lineage: Celebrating African American Roots & Branches

June 17, 18 & 19, 2021

Events include: Workshop, Concert, Keynote Address, & Ancestor Reverence Drumming & Dance

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.

List of 2021 Juneteenth Events

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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

Watch Video:

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FRIDAY, JUNE 18, 2021 | 7:30PM

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.

Watch Video:

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SATURDAY, JUNE 19, 2021 | 10:00 - 11:30AM

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

Watch Video:

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SATURDAY, JUNE 19, 2021 | 3:00PM

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.