The Truth Staff
The City of Toledo kicked off the festivities with a press conference on Friday, June13 and then on Saturday, the celebration opened in full force with a parade and a host of other activities.
Powell’s Beauty and Barber Supply hosted a vendors’ pop-up event, Vince Davis and the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity held a health and wellness event and the NAACP and Alphia Phi Alpha Fraternity held a celebration at the Toledo Lucas County Main Branch Library.
And the celebration continued through the week with the highlight arriving on June 19, Juneteenth itself – the holiday celebration at the Toledo Museum of Art.
The Toledo Museum of Art Galleries Celebrated Juneteenth
By Jefferson Díaz
The Truth Reporter
Thirteen hundred people filled the halls of the Toledo Museum of Art last Thursday, June 20, to participate in a series of activities commemorating Juneteenth.
With art, music, guided tours and even yoga classes, the TMA administration highlighted the importance of this day and invited Toledo’s various communities to recognize the freedoms brought by the Emancipation Proclamation and the knowledge of that document brought to the enslaved folks of Texas 160 years ago on June 19 1865..
“We must honor and respect the freedom that Juneteenth grants us. That’s why we’ve designed this series of activities, not only to honor this day but also to bring communities closer to the museum,” said Toni Gordon, public program supervisor.
Juneteenth kicked off at 11 a.m. at TMA with a series of family activities in the gardens. At 11:30 a.m., a yoga class with instructors Holly Strawbridge and Dani Nolff took place. At noon, James “Dirtykics” Dickerson gave a tour of artworks inspired by Toledoans and how they’ve impacted their communities.
Chudney Patterson offered a live painting event where attendees could observe his creative process and its relationship to the other works by African Americans in the museum.
Dorian Gray offered a magic show that captivated both children and adults, and Ramona Collins was in charge of closing the day with a live concert that could be heard throughout the museum’s galleries.
“This museum is a fundamental part of our city, and we want communities to come, not only for Juneteenth but for the other activities we’ll have throughout the year,” Gordon said.
To learn more about the museum’s activities, you can visit its website.toledomuseum.org where you can see the calendar of events. The next one will be the PRIDE celebration on June 28.
Family Center Activities 11:00a.m.–5:00p.m Family Center
Outreach Activities 11:00a.m.–4:00p.m. Green Room
The Cultural Heritage Festival
The day of June 19 brought inclement weather to the area but by late afternoon, the rain had ended and the skies had cleared up – just in time for the Cultural Heritage Festival at the Glass City Pavilion and Event Lawn.
Vendors lined up, the DJ was set and the musicians were warmed up – just in time. The audience arrived and the show was on – and activities were available for all ages.