From a luncheon at Fordham University’s Rose Hill campus to a conversation with Dr. Julius Garvey—son of Marcus Garvey—Fordham Law students can attend a number of community programs in celebration of Juneteenth.
Marcus Garvey was a charismatic Jamaican-born leader, who founded the Universal Negro Improvement Association in 1914, which aimed to achieve Black nationalism through the celebration of African history and culture.
President Joe Biden made Juneteenth a federal holiday in 2021. Juneteenth commemorates June 19, 1865, when the announcement of General Order No. 3 by Union Army General Gordon Granger, proclaimed African Americans’ freedom from slavery in the state of Texas, roughly two months after the official end of the Civil War.
Fordham University’s Juneteenth Celebration, taking place on Wednesday, June 26, 12:00 p.m.-1:30 p.m. at Rose Hill, will feature Fatimah Gilliam, founder and CEO of The Azara Group, as the keynote speaker.
Gilliam is the author of the groundbreaking book, Race Rules: What Your Black Friend Won’t Tell You—an innovative, practical manual of the unwritten “rules” relating to race helping people navigate polarizing issues.
This event is sponsored by the Office of the Chief Diversity Officer and the Office of Human Resources.
Register here. (Please note: Registration closes June 19.)
Programs and Events Across the Legal Community
Additional programming is taking place throughout New York City’s legal community in celebration of this national holiday.
- “On Juneteenth: Reflections on African Descendants’ Freedom, Hair, and the Law” (Monday, June 17, 1:00 p.m.-2:30 p.m.)
In celebration of Juneteenth, the African American Affairs Committee of the American Bar Association (ABA) Section on Civil Rights and Social Justice will host a dynamic webinar exploring the significance of hair to African descendants’ historic and contemporary quests for freedom, justice, equity, and full recognition of personhood within American law and society.
Panelists will also discuss civil rights legislation, litigation, and policy aimed at redressing race-based natural hair discrimination, infringements upon freedom of expression, the harms of chemical relaxers, alongside contemplating the role of law and corporations in both perpetuating and remediating these harms disproportionately endured by African descendants.
Visit here for additional resources about Juneteenth from the ABA.
- A Juneteenth Conversation featuring Dr. Julius Garvey (Wednesday, June 19, 2:00 p.m.)
The Metropolitan Black Bar Association is co-sponsoring a Juneteenth event with the Association of Black Women Attorneys, featuring Dr. Julius Garvey, son of the iconic Marcus Garvey. The event will take place on Wednesday, June 19, at Roy Wilkins Park in Queens. Dr. Garvey is scheduled to speak at 2 p.m.
- Juneteenth Jubilee: Celebrating Freedom and Unity (Thursday, June 20, 5:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m.)
Join the New York State Bar Association (NYSBA) for a vibrant celebration of liberty, culture, and community. This festive event honors the spirit of Juneteenth, commemorating the end of slavery in the United States and recognizing the journey towards freedom and equality. Whether you are here to learn, celebrate, or simply enjoy the company of others, NYSBA’s Juneteenth mixer is the perfect opportunity to come together in the spirit of unity and freedom. Commemorate this historic day with joy, reflection, and a shared commitment to a brighter future for all.
This event is co-sponsored by the Capital District Black and Hispanic Bar Association, Montgomery County Bar Association, and the Albany County Bar Association.
Programs and Events in New York City
From the arts to music, explore the many cultural celebrations taking place to celebrate Juneteenth across New York City.
- Broadway Celebrates Juneteenth (Wednesday, June 19, 11:00 a.m.-12:30 p.m.)
Michael James Scott, who currently stars as the Genie in Broadway’s Aladdin, will host the free outdoor concert, with more than 35 performers from 17 Broadway shows (Aladdin; & Juliet; Back to the Future: The Musical; Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club; Chicago; Harry Potter and the Cursed Child; The Heart of Rock and Roll; Hell’s Kitchen; Illinoise; The Lion King; MJ; Moulin Rouge! The Musical; The Notebook; Suffs; Water for Elephants; The Who’s Tommy; and The Wiz) along with youth performers from Young Gifted and Broadway.
- Juneteenth Celebration (Wednesday, June 19, 6:00 p.m.-7:30 p.m.)
Experience a day of remembrance and empowerment with inspiring music and spoken word performances at the Van Cortlandt House Museum. Guest artists include renowned drummer Baba Don Babatunde, actress Ashley Hart Adams, violist Judith Insell, mezzo-soprano Lucia Bradford and the NYC All City High School Chorus, poet David Mills, and West African drummer Yahaya Kamate.
- All American Freedom Day 2024: The Year of Justice, Peace, and Love (Wednesday, June 19, 7:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m.)
Healing of the Nations Foundation, in association with Carnegie Hall, presents its Juneteenth Celebration. Hosted by Reverend Dr. James A. Forbes, Jr., senior minister emeritus of the Riverside Church and president and founder of Healing of the Nations Foundation, and featuring Broadway star Norm Lewis as the master of ceremonies, the evening of commentary and performance include guest artists Grammy Award-winning singer and songwriter Gregory Porter; acclaimed composer, conductor, producer, and pianist Damien Sneed; visionary actor, singer, and writer Daniel Beaty; versatile conductor, arranger, and pianist Joseph Joubert; celebrated vocal ensembles Ebony Ecumenical Ensemble and The Adrian Dunn Singers; and more.
Free tickets may be available for pick up at the Carnegie Hall Box Office on a first-come basis.
- Some Sing: A Juneteenth Celebration (Wednesday, June 19, 7:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m.)
Carl Hancock Rux’s 2024 Juneteenth Celebration at Lincoln Center will be a campus-wide jubilee of Black sound in all its vernacular and complex manifestations. Rux’s vision acknowledges how music unites a people and acts as an agent for growth and freedom, referencing the uses of the art in work songs, prison laments, spirituals, and commemorations. At different performance spaces across campus, visitors will hear performances by influential free jazz experimentalist Cooper-Moore, Brooklyn singer-songwriter Tamar-kali, Bronx-born soul musician Stephanie McKay, and more, culminating in a concert set with Herb Alpert award-winning composer Toshi Reagon (Parable of the Sower) and her full band.
- Juneteenth at MAD (Now through Sunday, September 22)
The Museum of Arts and Design presents Sonya Clark: We Are Each Other, highlighting 30 years of artmaking dedicated to the Black experience in America. On view now through Sept. 22, the exhibition is the first comprehensive survey of the communal artmaking projects that form the heart of the artist’s pioneering creative practice. Accompanied by a selection of Clark’s photographs, prints, and sculpture, the exhibition features five of Clark’s large-scale, collaborative projects, including her barrier-breaking The Hair Craft Project (2014) and the ongoing performance, Unraveling.
Working with a wide range of emotionally resonant materials and everyday objects—from cotton cloth and human hair to school desks and bricks—Clark encourages audiences to confront the country’s historical imbalances and racial injustices through material transformation. The uses of traditional craft materials, her applied knowledge of global craft techniques, and the communal collaborations that are integral to the integrity of Clark’s art are among the many ways Clark represents and honors the legacies of the African diaspora in Black life.
