Virtual Juneteenth Celebration of Freedom Takes Place on June 19

The Kalamazoo Valley Museum and Soul Artistry LLC are hosting a virtual Juneteenth celebration on Friday, June 19, from 1 to 3 p.m. Visit the Soul Artistry LLC Facebook page for a celebration to commemorate the history of Juneteenth that features music, poetry and dance from youth creatives in the Black Kalamazoo community.

Yolonda Lavender, CEO of Soul Artistry LLC, the organizer of this annual event, looks forward to this opportunity to lift up Black culture, provide a stage for the younger generation to share in this annual community celebration, and celebrate at a time when it is needed deeply. Performers include DJ Boogie, Rootead Youth Dance Company, Sadaya Hamby, Sierra Ward and Trinity Prep Center. Check out Facebook @SoulArtistryLLC for event details and artist information.

Juneteenth is the oldest known celebration commemorating the ending of slavery in the United States. Dating back to June 19, 1865, Juneteenth was established by African Americans and is observed annually in remembrance of emancipation.

DJ Boogie
DJ Boogie is a 6th grader at King-Westwood Elementary School. At only 12 years old, DJ Boogie has a unique grasp of music genres. DJ Boogie captivates diverse audiences through his ability to connect music on a multigenerational scale. DJ Boogie has a passion to spread happiness to others through each and every song he spins and to “make people feel love.”

Rootead Youth Dance Company
The Rootead Youth Dance Company is a collective of teens in 8th-12th grade who perform African/Black diaspora dance in the Kalamazoo community. RYDC is joined by Djembe Yaru, Kalamazoo's West Afrikan drum and dance group, which was founded in 2007 by Nathaniel Waller. They are a group of performers and teachers dedicated to the expression of traditional and modern West Afrikan music and dance.

Sierra Ward
Sierra is dual-enrolled at Loy Norrix as a senior and at Kalamazoo Valley Community College and will be certified as an EMT this summer. She plans to get a job working on an ambulance. Sierra will attend Western Michigan University in the fall and major in Public Health to go into Hospital Administration. Sierra plans to make the healthcare system more equitable and affordable for all people no matter their race or economic status. She enjoys singing, writing poetry, playing the piano and listening to music.

Sadaya Hamby
Sadaya E Hamby was born and raised in Kalamazoo. Sadaya is an honor roll student and dreams of going to Kalamazoo College, Yale or an HBCU when she graduates from Kalamazoo Central High School. Her dream job is becoming a forensic anthropologist, psychologist or movie director. During these last couple of years, like many others, Sadaya has faced many different changes at once. She feels it is these changes that bring her emotions that otherwise aren’t necessarily shown in public to her poems. Though she is saddened at the impact of COVID and thanks God that he has kept her from it, Sadaya appreciates COVID. Sadaya believes it has brought her a certain “luck,” a perspective change and sometimes a newfound peace. She can’t wait to continue her journey of life; even with its many lessons, ups, downs, twists and turns, she will always give praise and thanks to God. For without him, she would not be here today.

Trinity Prep Center
Trinity Prep Center LLC is a Christian-based dance studio that opened in Kalamazoo in 2014 and was founded by tri-owners Adiah Jones, Carmilla Little and Courtney Wrenn. TPC’s mission is to use positive influence to help youth reach their maximum potential. Through the performing arts, they have impacted hundreds of youth of all ages in Kalamazoo County and its surrounding communities. TPC is dedicated to teaching different genres of dance and helping youth excel by creating even more possibilities for them to expand their horizons.

The Kalamazoo Valley Museum is operated by Kalamazoo Valley Community College and is governed by its Board of Trustees.