Join us for an all-ages, family-friendly, celebration, including live music, storytelling, a dance class, poetry, and more!
Register for the event and we'll send you updates if there are any schedule changes, as well as info on future free programs and other events around Santa Fe and Albuquerque.
Tentative Day Schedule:
8 AM: Juneteenth Hike10 AM: What Happened to Blackdom? - Timothy E. Nelson1 PM: Anthems of Belonging: For A New America - Hakim Bellamy2 PM: African Storytelling - Brenda Hollingsworth-Marley2:30 PM: Hands-On Crafts - Brenda Hollingsworth-Marley3:30 PM: Poets & Conservation Carnivale5 PM: B-Boys/B-Girls6 PM: Sweet Roll6:45 PM: DaJerney
There will also be food trucks on site, as well as free face painting from Arveyah Williams and free Juneteenth shirts (while supplies last)
WHAT HAPPENED TO BLACKDOM? - TIMOTHY E. NELSONBlackdom is the only incorporated all-Black Town in New Mexico. New Mexico State Senator Cliff Pirtle (R-Roswell) introduced Senate Memorial 18 and Senate Memorial 71 during the 2023 session. This legislation recognized Blackdom as "the most influential Black settler community." SM 18 passed one committee on March 13, but did not advance beyond that. The Blackdom descendant community is in constant communication exploring its past, present and future. This series of lectures, forums, colloquials, practical exercises and critical dialogue speaks to the complication of navigating a post-Obama and post-Trump world. At the core of the intersectional dialectic, we grapple with Blackdom's current inaccessibility by public roads, requiring people to obtain permission to use private and government lands and roads. The task force is expected to include representatives from Chaves County, the New Mexico Counties association, New Mexico's congressional delegation, the U.S. postmaster general, the State Historian's Office, the State Land Office, the New Mexico Office on African American Affairs and some Blackdom property owners. The conversations can include theater, arts, and culture to grapple with the hard questions of what to do now, during the post-apocalypse period of the Twenty-First Century.
ANTHEMS OF BELONGING: FOR A NEW AMERICA - HAKIM BELLAMYPart songwriting workshop, part poem writing workshop, this workshop will analyze, deconstruct and reconstruct an anthem. Any anthem! Starting with "The Star Spangled Banner" and building from there, participants will both be invited to bring an anthem (regardless of national origin) or song that speaks to their values and notions of identity. By the end of the workshop, the group will collectively craft an "Anthem of Belonging" after creatively navigating a dialogue of complimentary and conflicting aspirations for our community. The workshop will include writing, singing, sharing, laughing, clapping, possibly even dancing and a beginner-level discussion of music theory and the semiotics of music. No prior (musical) experience needed!
SWEET ROLLBrought together through a string of fortunate happenstances and friendly word-of-mouth, Sweet Roll is a poppy, neo-soul act hailing from Albuquerque. Featuring ABQ music scene veterans Bryce Hample, Josh Prigge, Zach Leyba, and newcomer Rayna Torres, they began sharing their unique voice with the world in mid-2019. While they all have their own medical backgrounds, their love of music has cemented a shared vision which they are currently pursuing today.
DAJERNEYDaJerney is an emerging reggae artist, singer, multi-instrumentalist, and songwriter originating from Jamaica. The talented musician is quickly making waves in the scene with his unparalleled sound and style. Through his emotion-filled vocal performances, DaJerney radiates raw emotion through explosive instrumentation. Inspired by his life experiences, DaJerney strives to push the envelope with his sound and bridge various elements from different genres to make a well-rounded, dynamic style. Runner up of the 2018 Digicel Rising Stars singing competition in Jamaica, DaJerney seeks to connect intimately through his lyricism with listeners around the world and help them be positive. DaJerney will have listeners engulfed in the musical world he creates with his no-frills approach and realness.
