1st Annual Juneteenth Celebration
Juneteenth, or Freedom Day, is a holiday that commemorates the June 19, 1865 announcement of the abolition of slavery in Texas, and more generally the emancipation of African slaves throughout the Confederate South on June 19. The word Juneteenth derives from a combination of “June” and “nineteenth. The Juneteenth event is a free outdoor event for the public presented by the Herbert Henderson Office of Minority Affairs (HHOMA). This Juneteenth celebration features headliner Step Afrika! This electrifying dance company from Washington, DC promotes an appreciation for stepping as a contemporary dance genre and its use as an educational, motivational and healthy tool for young people. Juneteenth also features live entertainment from Unity in the Community Choir, MLK Male Chorus, Mrs. Jean English from Harlem Heights, spoken word by Ms. Crystal Good & Mrs. Janet Williams, Live DJ Woody Woods from 98.7 the Beat, games and much more. This event is free and open to the public.
28th Anniversary WV Black Heritage Festival
This wonderful street festival is a celebration of black heritage that takes place during the annual remembrance of the Emancipation Proclamation. Great food, games, entertainment and cultural events. For more information, please call 304-641-9963 or visit their website at www.wvbhf.com.
WV Black Heritage Festival
This wonderful street festival is a celebration of black heritage that takes place during the annual remembrance of the Emancipation Proclomation. Great good, games, entertainment, and cultural events. For more info please visit their website at www.wvbhf.com or call 304-641-9963.
Readings by the Affrilachian Poets
As a part of the Appalachian Studies Association Conference at Shepherd University, all are welcome to join in many of their FREE events. In Celebration of Twenty-Five Years, Frank X Walker and the Affrilachian Poets will be participating in “Affrilachian Voices: A Reading by Affrilachian Poets.” Poets participating in the event alongside Walker include Kelly Norman Ellis, Ricardo Nazario y Colon, Bianca Spriggs, and others.
Frank X. Walker Address
Frank X Walker will deliver the Appalachian Studies Association Conference keynote address on Friday, March 18 in the Shepherd University Frank Center Theater. Walker, a native Kentuckian and graduate of the University of Kentucky, holds an MFA in writing from Spalding University and was named Poet Laureate of Kentucky in 2013—the youngest and first African American to hold the position. Walker co-founded Message Theater and the Affrilachian Poets and was named one of "the most creative teachers in the South" by the Oxford American: The Southern Magazine of Good Writing. His creation of the word “Affrilachia” is included in the Oxford American Dictionary. Walker has lectured, conducted workshops, and read poetry at over 400 national conferences and universities across the globe. Walker’s keynote address, entitled “Escape from Negro Mountain: Writing History, Righting Wrongs,” will utilize stories and literature to shed light on the diversity of Appalachia. Frank X Walker will participate in a number of conference events in addition to the keynote.