Juneteenth Celebration
2024 Juneteenth Celebration
Dreaming Black Art: Gateways to a New Awareness
June 7, 13, & 19
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The celebration includes an artist reception, an In-debt Conversation, a live concert, a children's drumming workshop, African drumming, and more.
Masculinity and manhood are hot topics in the United States today. Debates over the correct role of men in society fill our political and social discussions. Some men feel that they are under attack just for performing their male role in “traditional” ways, while others (men and women) assert it is precisely those traditions – rooted in patriarchy – that are causing harm to men and to society writ large. As is often the case, these discussions take place in an environment infused with racial stereotypes that demonize Black masculinity.
Art by and about Black men offers the possibility of a different conversation. This year’s Juneteenth programs will peel back the layers of the complex representation of Black men in our country to open gateways to a new awareness and understanding. We will celebrate the depth and lived experience of Black men in our midst. Artists and creatives whose work aims to dismantle harmful stereotypes and expectations imposed on Black men will guide and inspire us.
Schedule of Events
Friday, June 7 | 5:00 PM | BHTNH Headquarters | Portsmouth | FREE EVENT
ARTIST RECEPTION FEATURING NADROJ NINA HOLMES
In his New Hampshire debut, rising artist Nadroj Holmes will showcase work rooted in the living history of Black liberation movements and their cultural and folkloric expressions. Some pieces showcase the Black body with heavy suppositions that inspire liberatory thought. Holmes's works are amalgams of past and future, facts and imaginings, trauma and transformation.
In this exhibit, the historical figure Gordon, also known as Whipped Peter, is presented in a transformative light. Holmes, known for his ability to reimagine familiar images, has turned Gordon's depiction from a symbol of America's history of chattel slavery into a representation that encapsulates present-day public discourse. This intriguing transformation invites you to see Gordon in a new and thought-provoking way.
In this particular reworking, the countless scars on Gordon's back are removed. In their place is something bizarre, amorphous, and difficult to describe. The interactive piece 'Delusions & Context' invites you to explore and interpret these changes, amalgamating the past and present to shape future discourse. This unique interactive experience promises to engage and challenge your perceptions.
The opening reception begins at 5:00 pm. The Artist Talk will begin at 5:30 pm.
Artist’s Statement
A Massachusetts College of Art and Design graduate, Holmes also attained a minor in Africana Studies through Simmons and Wheelock Colleges.
My work is rooted in research, specifically the living history of Black Liberation Movements and Decolonization Theory. Projects showcase both the Black Body and heavy suppositions to inspire liberatory thought. Cultural artifacts are often paired with pop culture practices to create works that question notions of linear social progress typically used to veneer societal traditions that perpetuate racial inequity. Works critically analyze the normalization of oppression commonly found in anti-Black narratives while providing the Black Body a stage from which counter-narratives of resistance can be developed and popularized.
Animation. Installation. Nomenclature. Performance. Photo. Sociology of Language. Video. Sound.
Thursday, June 13 | In-Depth Conversation | 6:00 PM | Currier Museum of Art | Manchester | FREE
A SOFTER SIDE: RE-CONSIDERING BLACK MASCULINITY
“When we forge a new path where tenderness is valued, love is essential, and our friendships are deep and meaningful, society will be forced to recognize the importance of a more inclusive and positive representation of Black masculinity.” Shaka Senghor
Society has long held a warped definition of Black masculinity, forcing Black men into a never-ending cycle of excessive toughness and limited vulnerability. These perceptions significantly impact Black men's relationships with their children, their partners, the world, and themselves. This conversation will feature Black men showing authentic, vulnerable, and non-conforming masculine behavior that brings this complexity into focus.
The event kicks off with a reception in the Winter Garden from 5:30-6:00 pm. This is a perfect opportunity for our guests to connect with each other and our presenters, fostering a sense of community and engagement. Guests are also invited to explore Raphael Barontini’s exhibit during this time.
Presenters:
Jason Cruz (Art Therapist, RAW Arts Lynn, MA)
Dwight Davis (Owner of Senior Helpers of Southern New Hampshire, Retired Professional Athlete)
Mark McClary (Global Trade Operations Analyst at Fidelity Investments & Coach)
Christopher Michael (Poet and Co-Founder of Killeen Poetry Slam)
Kevin Pajaro-Marinez (Assistant Director of Equity and Inclusion at Phillips Exeter Academy)
Anthony Payton (Founder of Anthony Payton Media, Motivational Speaker, Formerly Incarcerated)
Lionel Loveless (Owner and Designer at Officially Knotted Bowties)
Moderator: Anthony Poore (President and CEO, New Hampshire Center for Justice and Equity)
Wednesday, June 19 | 7:30 PM | Concert Presented by Moxie Events | The Music Hall
THE MAGIC OF MOTOWN
Don’t miss this fantastic journey through all of the hits! Hailed by audiences as “THE BEST MOTOWN SHOW IN THE COUNTRY,” the show will dazzle you for over two hours! This cast of 18 people EMBODY the BEST OF MOTOWN, delivering all the hits from The Temptations, The Jackson Five, Diana Ross & The Supremes, The Four Tops, Aretha Franklin, Smokey Robinson, and more!
The show’s pitch-perfect harmonies, dynamic choreography, & costuming perfectly capture the sights & sounds of Motown.
This program is brought to you by The Music Hall
Wednesday, June 19 | 9:30 AM | Community Walk | FREE
JUNETEENTH FREEDOM WALK
Celebrate Juneteenth side-by-side with others of goodwill by walking from Kittery, Maine, to the African Burying Ground in Portsmouth, New Hampshire!
Meet at John Paul Jones Memorial Park on the Kittery side of the Route 1 Memorial Bridge. Wakers will gather by 9:00 AM and begin the 0.8-mile walk at 9:30 AM to the Burying Ground at 386 State Street, Portsmouth, NH, led by The Leftist Marching Band.
Parking for those participating in the walk is available at Kittery Walk-in Care, 35 Walker Street, and wheelchair-accessible parking spots across Hunter Ave by the Warren’s Lobster sign.
BRING a Sign! Bring a tambourine. Help celebrate African American Freedom!
This walk is hosted by The Seacoast African American Cultural Center, Green Acre Baha’i Center of Learning, and Seacoast NAACP.
Wednesday, June 19 | 11:00 AM | African Drumming | African Burying Ground | FREE
A TIME TO PRAISE, A TIME TO HONOR, A TIME TO HEAL
Traditionally the drum was the heartbeat and soul of African communities, thus holding deep historic and symbolic significance. The drums herald political and social events and ceremonies of birth, death, and marriage. They spark courtships, home-coming and going, and accompany religious rites and rituals that call up ancestral spirits while creating an atmosphere that promotes healing and social resilience.
This commemorative event, live streaming from the Portsmouth African Burying Ground, is a celebration of Black Joy that pays homage to the ancestors. The healing beat of the drums provided by Akwaaba Ensemble, an African drumming and dance group and a ceremony by Rev. Robert Thompson will honor the ancestors who survived upon these shores.
African Touch
African Drumming Workshop | 10:30 AM | Prior to African Drumming Ceremony
Theo Martey, Director of The Akwaaba Ensemble, will lead the "African Touch" drumming workshop for kids and parents as we connect with our ancestors to celebrate Juneteenth through rhythms, dances, and songs.
Preserve Black History in New Hampshire