51 ARTS hosts ‘We Outside! A Brooklyn Juneteenth, Vol. III’

For its fifth annual Juneteenth Celebration, 651 ARTS – Brooklyn’s premier institution for the African Diasporic performing arts – will once again team up with The Soapbox Presents, the popular performing arts platform celebrating the brilliance of Black and brown people, for the third year to mark the national holiday with “We Outside! A Brooklyn Juneteenth, Vol. III.” 

Held in partnership with the Downtown Brooklyn Partnership, 651 ARTS said this special commemoration of Freedom Day will celebrate culture and community and will take place outdoors at The Plaza at 300 Ashland in Downtown Brooklyn on Saturday, June 21, from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. 

Curated with The Soapbox Presents as part of their Juneteenth activations, 651 ARTS said this year’s “We Outside…” event “centers the theme of building coalitions to build community – drawing inspiration from the legendary Harlem-born artist Faith Ringgold, whose art centers around expressions of Blackness and womanhood through a firm anti-racist, feminist lens.”

651 ARTS said some of Ringgold’s most celebrated work is based on quilt narratives, which were often famously used as maps leading enslaved Africans toward the North and freedom and illustrate how close slavery is to the present day.

“With Ringgold’s work as a connector, the day will showcase the impetus behind Freedom Day and reinforce themes of resiliency, Black joy, and self-determination that honor the brilliance and vitality of Black culture,” 651 ARTS said.

This celebration will include live performances, food truck offerings, and a host of family and community engagement experiences, including The Soapbox Presents’ signature Stoop Sessions, the company said.

Originally popularized on the stoops of Harlem, 651 ARTS said this performance would take over “the stoop” at Ashland Plaza in front of 651 ARTS’ new home in Downtown Brooklyn.

With the music of Frankie Beverly, Earth Wind, and Fire, and many more, led by GRAMMY-nominated singer/songwriter Gordon Chambers and featuring vocal powerhouses YahZarah and J. Hoard, 651 ARTS said this Stoop Session will explore “liberation and celebrate the genius of soul classics.”

Additional programming highlights for the day are: The Cypher – In this special Juneteenth workshop, participants will explore the concept of liberation through movement with voguing, house, and soul line dancing led by teaching artists from Brooklyn and Harlem, including Omari Wiles (Voguing), Maisha Ferg (Soul Line Dancing) and Caleaf Sellers (House).

“From New York’s voguing scene to the line dances that are often a part of our family reunions, Black social dance and movement traditions have always played a pivotal role in shaping African American cultural identity, and the variations of these dances tell the stories of the communities from which they were born,” 651 ARTS said. 

Young, Gifted & Black: A Celebration of HBCU Culture – Inspired by HBCU culture, YG&B celebrates the traditions born out of necessity at educational institutions made for African Americans by African Americans and the young people continuing the legacy.

651 ARTS said this segment will showcase a mix of marching bands, drumlines, and majorette squads.

Featured talent includes Brooklyn United’s marching band and dance line, the majorette squad Brooklyn Gatorettes, the Big Apple Leadership Academy for the Arts marching band and dance line, the ICE Cold Experience Drumline, Untouchable Movement Dance Company’s majorette squad, and X-Factor Drumline.

651 ARTS said it is “proud to feature” presentations from Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority and Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity this year.

Melanated Notes: This segment will use spoken word and rhythm to take attendees on a journey through the Black experience.

Part protest and part spiritual upliftment, 651 ARTS said Melanated Notes pairs poets with musicians to explore freedom through the power of the spoken word, featuring Lyrical Faith, Hattress Barbour, Kai Diata Giovanni, and Sejahari.

Additionally, 651 ARTS said “We Outside…” will once again host “a unique Black Artisan Market – curated especially for this event by Brooklyn Pop-Up – showcasing Brooklyn’s finest Black makers and entrepreneurs.:

The marketplace will feature contemporary fashion, accessories, home goods, beauty and wellness, and handmade jewelry, the company said.

“In the spirit of coalition building – which is now more important than ever for those of us in the Arts – we’re so excited to continue our collaboration with The Soapbox Presents for the third year with ‘We Outside…’ It’s hard to believe that we started 651’s Juneteenth Celebration five years ago and to look at how it has grown to become a tradition in the community with people from all walks of life coming to The Plaza every year to celebrate Black joy!” said 651 ARTS’ Executive Director Toya A. Lillard.

“This year, it was really important for us to double down on the intent of creating an event commemorating Liberation Day for Black people in America by really reinforcing the ideals of unity, resilience, and perseverance that continue to push us forward as a people through the lens of music, dance, and community gathering as a generative way to respond to this moment in our nation’s history,” she added. “We look forward to welcoming all to ‘come outside’ and join us for this special celebration.”

“As so many things shift for each and every person who calls this country home, it is of the utmost importance that we gather to collectively manifest freedom! It is our mission to create safe spaces where we can actively practice being liberated. With double Dutch, marching bands, drumlines, poets, dancers, and vendors, we will explore Black expression in many forms. Here, at “We Outside: A Brooklyn Juneteenth,” we will commune in the name of Black joy and freedom for all!” said Founder and Executive Director of The Soapbox Presents Marija Abney.

“It has been incredible to witness this activation in Brooklyn grow over the last 3 years, and we are thrilled to be able to demonstrate what’s possible when we move in solidarity towards a shared goal by continuing our collaboration with 651 ARTS,” she added. “We invite you all to join us on The Plaza at 300 Ashland for a celebration that is sure to uplift and fortify.”

651 ARTS said Juneteenth is an annual commemoration of the end of slavery in the United States.

Though the Emancipation Proclamation freeing slaves was signed on Jan. 1, 1863, it said enslaved African Americans in Galveston Bay, Texas, learned of their freedom from the Union Army on Jun. 19, 1865, after the Emancipation Proclamation was announced.

651 ARTS noted that Juneteenth is the longest-standing African-American holiday observed in the United States.

Founded in Brooklyn in 1988, 651 ARTS said its mission is “to deepen awareness of and appreciation for contemporary performing arts and culture of the African Diaspora and to provide professional and creative opportunities for artists of African descent.”

651’s signature programs have featured pioneering Black choreographers from around the world, including Germaine Acogny, Nora Chipaumire, Carmen de Lavallade, Diane McIntyre, Bebe Miller, Abdel R. Salaam, and Jawole Willo Jo Zollar.

As part of its commitment to furthering conversations and celebrating Diaspora music, the institution has presented dialogues and performances by Somi, Hugh Masekela, and GRAMMY-winning artist Betty Carter.

Theatrical and text-based works by Anna Deavere Smith, Sekou Sundiata, Marc Bamuthi Joseph, Ntozake Shange, Okwui Okpokwasili, and Maria Bauman are representative of the hundreds of artists and productions featuring solo creations, collaborations, emerging artists, and works-in-development all produced by 651’s visionary leadership in the field of Black performance.