It’s hard to believe that it became a federal holiday only three years ago!
Juneteenth celebrations are scheduled all over Queens over the next few days. Gospel music, spoken word, and a drum circle are among the options.
One of the big ones is Lewis Latimer House Museum’s Juneteenth Reopening Celebration on Saturday, June 15, at 1 pm. Attendees will be able to explore the newly designed, permanent exhibition on Latimer’s contributions to the world and participate in hands-on sculpture, painting, collage, and ceramics workshops.
The Elite Marching Band will perform at 1:15 pm, while Fresh Prince of Bel Air star Karyn Parsons will read a children’s book at 2 pm. Queens-based FANIKE! African Dance Troupe will lead an African drum and dance circle at 3 pm.
Everything is free, and the historic house is at 34-41 137th St. in Flushing.
One the same day, June 15, the Louis Armstrong House Museum will host a Garden Concert at 3 pm.
Renowned musician, composer, conductor, and arranger Wycliffe Gordon performs. He’s a veteran member of the Wynton Marsalis Septet and an original member of the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra.
Attendance is free, and the landmark is at 34-56 107th St. in Corona.
Meanwhile, Juneteenth In Our Words will unfold at the Jamaica Performing Arts Center, 153-10 Jamaica Ave., on June 19 at 7:30 pm. (It’s free, too.)
BRIC Brooklyn Grand Slam 2023 winner Jasmine “JRose” Rosario leads this spoken word event with help from Jerome Heka, Keys Will, Unique on Purpose, and Divine Wordsmith.
To enhance the experience, Shenna Vaughn will create visuals on canvas with live painting, while DJ Tam Jams will bring the music.
For other Juneteenth celebrations in the world’s most diverse borough, surf to Queens Rising NYC.
What Is Juneeteenth?
Juneteenth originates from Union General Gordon Granger’s order to grant freedom to slaves in Texas on June 19, 1865. President Abraham Lincoln had issued the nationwide Emancipation Proclamation on Jan. 1, 1863, but Texas slave owners hid this news until General Granger’s proclamation. Long celebrated in the Lone Star State, it became a federal holiday in 2021.
Who Was Lewis Latimer?
Lewis Latimer is most famous for working with Alexander Graham Bell on the telephone and helping Thomas Edison invent the lightbulb. But on his own, he got patents for a railroad car toilet, an early air conditioner, and a socket which allowed light bulbs to screw into fixtures. His biggest invention was durable carbon filament for electric bulbs that made them cheaper and longer-lasting. The Renaissance Man (1848–1928) also found time to co-found the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Queens and teach himself mechanical drawing and drafting while mastering patent law, playing the flute, and writing poetry. The Queens Anne style house in Flushing where he lived the last 26 years of his life is now a museum.
